What will your Legacy be?

Written by Bill Sayers

This article is dedicated to my friend John Zsolt who died in a snowboarding accident two weeks ago. It was his 46th birthday. During the reception, after his funeral, his brother, godchild and friends spoke about John and what he meant to them and to everyone he knew. There were very few dry eyes in the room. John was a successful businessman, the club champion snowboarder at Beaver Valley, a sailor who owned and raced a sailboat, a loving husband and father, a wonderful cook, a good friend to many, and a great friend to a lucky few.

He was a good man and I will miss him……………

What will you be remembered for?

When it comes to your business – what do your customers see you as? Are you respected or resented? Are you trusted or tolerated? How do your customers treat you? Are you invited to participate in planning sessions and meetings related to your product or service? Or are you called for your best price in order to keep your competition honest?

What are you doing about your legacy as a sales person? How will you be remembered when you finish your career? When people talk about a great sales rep there is a sense of awe and admiration. People have great respect for these reps and customers and the staff at the companies they work for look up to them. When people talk about bad sales reps, there is no awe or admiration there is a sense of resentment and wonder at how someone can be that bad and still have a job.

I have always maintained that being a great or a marginal rep takes work. Focus on working to be a great rep. That greatness comes from having a clear vision for success and what your goals are to achieve that success.

What are you doing to create your legacy as a sales professional?

Your behaviour and attitude are the two key factors that will determine how you are remembered. Both are under your control. So what is your focus each day? Is it to get through the day without any problems and issues to deal with? Or is your goal to provide your customers with the service they deserve, the experience of your support and your companies capabilities?

How are you playing your game of life? Are you playing the game “Not to Lose” or are you playing the game to “Win”. If you are playing the game to win, you do what is needed to get the job done. You do what is “right” and what is “ethical”. You are not afraid to buck the system when necessary and when to push back with your customer. You do not get caught up in bad processes that your company has created. You do not compromise your integrity and you have great respect for everyone you work with. You build your business on relationships and earn each win based on your reputation.

You know who you are. If you are not comfortable with who you truly are, how can you be honest and be trusted by others? When you are comfortable with your self you can take a stand on issues that are important to you. Knowing that, you will not back down on those issues. People know where you stand, though they may not agree with you. However, they will respect you for that opinion and stand because you do not make it personal.

If you are clear and focused on what is important to you, then you can compete and push for what you want for yourself and for your customers. That focus allows you to put forth the effort to do the things that you need to do to be successful.

Why will you be missed………

As business people we all have times in our career when we chat about the “glory days!” It was a period of time you can remember in great detail and have fond memories of. So when you leave a job and move on to new customers look back on your relationships; how will you be remembered? Most people never get to really hear how they are doing. That is why you do reviews and solicit feedback from staff, suppliers and your customers. What are you going to be missed for?

Sayers Says………

What will your legacy be? Are you working at being a great sales rep or an average sales rep? How are you playing your game of life? From whom are you getting feedback on how you are doing? What will you be missed for?

I am going to miss John’s laugh………………….

Bill Sayers -
	Bill Sayers speaks, coaches, leads education sessions and provides management consulting services to a variety of companies. He recently completed “Funnels and Forecasts – The Great Game of Sales”. He has been a professor at George Brown College teaching Personal Selling Skills to the Sports and Event Marketing Graduate Program, and is on the faculty of Canadian Professional Sales Association and Canadian Management Centre. To receive our free “How are you Playing The Game” Scorecard and a 45 minute one-on-one session with Bill Sayers, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit: www.TheSayersGroup.com . Read More >>
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