| Albert Einstein formulated the theory that says that | | | | Gates believed that people would never own a |
| space and time are relative concepts rather than | | | | personal computer, I'd be writing this on a typewriter. |
| absolute concepts. For example, consider a car | | | | To further make this point, I thought I would share a |
| speedometer reading at 65 miles per hour. How fast | | | | personal story. When I was in the eighth grade, my |
| is the car going? This question seems like the | | | | family moved from New York to New Jersey. |
| beginning of the joke of who is buried in Grant's | | | | (Where to start with the jokes...) At the time that |
| tomb and you are expecting a punch line. No joke | | | | we moved, I was an excellent student, A's across |
| here, I assure you. As a matter of fact, most would | | | | the board. Shortly after moving, I injured my knee |
| respond 65 miles per hour. This is the correct answer | | | | playing baseball. I ended up having two knee |
| if and only if you are comparing the car to someone | | | | surgeries and spent my entire freshman year of high |
| who is not moving. However, if you compare that | | | | school on crutches. Here I am living in a new state, |
| same car to the car driving next to it that is driving | | | | going to a new school, knowing next to no one. I |
| 55 miles per hour, your car is only moving at 10 miles | | | | lost my focus. |
| per hour. | | | | I became friendly with a few kids who were not |
| So, what does that have to do with sales? When | | | | very good students. They were nice kids, not |
| you look at your sales performance, to what | | | | troublemakers, but they did not perform well in |
| standard do you compare yourself? Is it to the | | | | school. During my freshman year of high school, I set |
| others on the sales team? Is it to your quota? Is it | | | | my personal worst records for grades, but I was |
| to a sales record that has stood for 10 years in your | | | | able to rationalize my performance. My grades were |
| company? Maybe you look at your performance | | | | nothing to write home about, but I was scoring |
| relative to your income goals? | | | | better than my friends. From that relative point of |
| While any of these comparative points are important, | | | | view, I was doing fine. |
| they all have one thing in common. They limit your | | | | Towards the end of my freshman year, I became |
| potential. How good can you be? If you set a ceiling | | | | friends with a different group of kids. These friends |
| to that, you will never know. Yes, hitting your quota | | | | later attended Wharton, Harvard, Emory, and Bates. |
| is important. Achieving your income goal is also | | | | All prestigious schools... Relative to them, my grades |
| important. But could you achieve more? Could you be | | | | were a disgrace. They never made me feel badly |
| better? The car moving at 65 miles per hour is | | | | about it, but I felt uncomfortable. Their success |
| moving pretty fast, but only relative to a non-moving | | | | drove me to rediscover myself. During the remainder |
| entity. Your competitors are moving right along with | | | | of my high school and collegiate career, I elevated |
| you. Maybe you are in the lead, but competition does | | | | my game to top of the class. I credit much of that |
| not stagnate. To them, maybe you are only moving | | | | with changing my approach to relativity. |
| at 10 miles per hour. | | | | Nature also uses the theory of relativity. If you put a |
| Compare that same car to a jet. The speed of the | | | | fish in a 10 gallon tank, the fish will only grow to a |
| car is not overly impressive. The jet can get you | | | | certain size. The surroundings of the fish limit its size |
| from New York to Florida in a couple of hours. The | | | | and growth. Put that same fish in a larger tank and |
| car needs 24 hours to reach the same destination. | | | | the fish will continue to grow. Want to get better at |
| Competitors get smarter. Customers get smarter. | | | | golf? Play with better golfers. Want to run faster? |
| And you have to get better if you are going to be | | | | Train with better runners. |
| successful. What worked yesterday is not going to | | | | What limitations are you putting on your sales |
| work tomorrow. Self improvement is the only way | | | | success? Are you failing to achieve your quota? Are |
| to do it. | | | | your friends on the team missing their quota too? Do |
| There are no ceilings in sales unless you place them | | | | you accept that because you are all failing? Or do |
| there. One of my favorite quotes is, "When someone | | | | you compare yourself to a higher standard? What |
| says it can't be done, it only means that HE can't do | | | | are you doing each and every day to improve |
| it." Every day people accomplish the seemingly | | | | yourself? Is your goal just to be better, or is it to be |
| impossible. How do they do it? Simple. They don't | | | | the best? |
| compare themselves to any standard. They have no | | | | You are the only obstacle to your success. Get out |
| limitations. As I write this, I'm flying on a plane. If the | | | | of your own way and enjoy the results. |
| Wright brothers believed in ceilings, I'd be driving. If Bill | | | | |