How Anyone Can Be The Leader They Wish They Had

Leadership is the lifeblood of an organization. When leaders creates safe environments at work, everyone thrives and devotion is the natural response to those conditions. Toxic cultures breed cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. I’ve experienced both, which is why I urge people to gauge the leadership of an organization prior to joining the company.

I wanted to learn about why people choose a journey of leadership. What does it take to be an effective leader, and why is it so challenging? Are leaders really born that way? To get the answers I tapped Simon Sinek on the shoulder because he knows a thing or two about leadership.

Simon is a student of leadership. He delivered one of the most popular TED Talks of all time, How great leaders inspire action, which has generated over 27 million views. He published Start With Why in 2011 (which the Ted Talk was based on) and in his recent NY Times Best Seller, Leaders Eat Last, he shares ideas and stories of how leaders can create environments where their people thrive.

“Why don’t more people choose to be a leader?” I naively asked Simon. He compares leadership to parenting, and since we recently had our first baby, I can relate! He explains that when you sign up for leadership, you are responsible for the lives of others, and it comes at great personal sacrifice. “It’s damn hard work! The risks are very real and when things go wrong, you have to take full responsibility. In both parenting and leadership, it’s difficult to measure the results on a day-to-day basis but if you stay the course you’ll see the impact over time.”

“It’s like exercise, where consistency is more important than intensity. You can’t go to the gym for nine hours and get in shape, but if you go for 20 minutes each day you’ll see progress over time. If you’re not seeing results you’re probably doing something wrong, and leadership is exactly the same way,” he asserted. He explains that the problem with leadership is that he doesn’t know when it’ll start working, and other people might recognize it in your first before you see it yourself.

We often hear about natural born leaders, but leadership is a skill like any other. There are a handful of leaders like John F. Kennedy and Herb Kelleher that may have been more advanced because of their upbringing, but leadership is like a muscle that needs to be developed. “We missed their early childhood and their early 20s when they were getting everything wrong. They all had mentors and they became great leaders, but none of them started that way!” Simon proclaimed.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head. I always assumed you need to be managing people to be considered a leader. Like parenting, everyone has the capacity to be a leader but not everyone should be. I recognized that just because you’re manager doesn’t mean you’re a leader.

“We’ve confused rank and leadership. They are not the same thing.”

"I know many people that sit at the highest levels of an organization who are not leaders. We do as they say because they have authority, but we would not follow them voluntarily. I know many leaders who sit at mid-ranks who have no authority and they’ve made a choice to look out for the people around them, and we would follow them anywhere,” Simon articulated.

Then, it hit me. Anyone can choose to begin a journey of leadership. It can begin by practicing empathy which is the foundation of leadership. For example, next time you’re in the office kitchen and the coffee pot is empty, make another pot, even if no one sees you doing it.

Simon shared his prescription, “Ask the barista how they’re doing, and actually care about the answer. Instead of saying thanks over email, give the person a hand-written thank you note expressing your gratitude. It takes a little bit more time and a little bit more energy, but the affect is tenfold. Practice small and the muscle builds. Like exercise, you’ll be able to lift heavier weight over time.”

Simon believes the biggest challenge in a journey of leadership is having courage. “When a CEO says they have to do something because of shareholder demands (who are essentially disinterested external constituents), it’s the equivalent of the coach on a team prioritizing the needs of the fans over the players. I can imagine the pressures from the board for CEOs to push for short-term gains, but it takes courage to stand up to that pressure because you may lose your job because of it,” he voiced.

A lack of courage can be a catalyst for leaders to create high stress environments. It causes people not to feel psychologically safe, which releases the hormone, cortisol. That hormone biologically inhibits empathy. “Bad leaders think pitting their people against each other makes them stronger. It breeds internal competition and a lack of psychological safety (threats, layoffs, or politics). You biologically drive the empathy right out of the organization,” Simon declared.

I realized that leadership is a craft you must work at over time. The risks are real, it’s incredibly hard, and it’s something that should be pursued with what Simon coined “a leadership buddy.” You need a sounding board when you’re making tough decisions because the leader is responsible for the well-being of others, often times before their own personal safety.

Simon eloquently described leadership in a way where I could visualize him on stage, raising his hands to frame his point and pumping his fist in front of an audience of thousands.

“Leadership is a responsibility. It’s not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge. Though you may have rank, that doesn’t make you a leader. We call you leader not because you’re at the top. We call you a leader because you chose to take the risk to go first; first into the unknown, first into the danger, to protect your people, and to help them achieve more than they thought they were capable of. That’s why we call you a leader and afford you the perks of leadership. It’s our way of saying thank you.”

Simon joked that work-life balance doesn’t imply how much yoga you do. He taught me that work-life imbalance is when you feel safe at home and you don’t feel safe at work, and we’ll never have balance until the leaders in the organization care about who we are. The good news? We can become leaders by making a choice.

“ Anyone can be the leader they wish they had. All they have to do is make different choices and the results are profound. The challenge is that you may not see the results within the quarter, or within the year,” he voiced.

How to Become a Salary Negotiation Ninja

When it comes to negotiating salaries, the majority of people that I’ve met were unprepared when the recruiter of a prospective company asked them the almighty salary question. Negotiating an increase of $3,000-$5,000 in your salary could equate to the cost of a new car over five years, so why not put in the work to prepare to answer the salary question with confidence?

Do Your Homework & Network!

When I fly to LAX I jump online to see what the going rate is on multiple airlines. Although I usually book Southwest, I also use multi-search sites like Expedia or Kayak to cross-check flight rates because I want to feel comfortable that I’m getting a good deal. In the same way, when I applied to become an Account Executive in sales for a specific industry, I checked sites like Payscale and Glassdoor to determine the range of compensation for similar roles. But I didn’t stop there. People like helping people; remember when Google Maps didn’t exist and you’d have to ask a stranger for directions? I’d reach out to a current employee of a company on LinkedIn to ask if they could help point me in the right direction.

Initially, approaching a complete stranger can be intimidating. While you might be hesitant to seek some advice, remember that online networking can be mutually beneficial. You may have a need for some insider information, but you can also offer something in return (future connections or help with a project).

You can send the person a message on LinkedIn with something like:

“Hi Kate,

My name is Jane Doe and I’m a student at SJSU in the marketing program. I came across your profile on the alumni network on LinkedIn and wanted to see if you’d be open to sharing some feedback on a position at your organization that I’m very interested in pursuing. I understand you may have a full plate, if you can provide any guidance or point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

-Jane Doe”

Trust that your approach with humility and openness will be effective and the majority of people will spare a few minutes to help you. In my experience, when employees responded, I would ask if they’d be open to a 10-minute phone conversation. If the chat went well, I’d ask if they’d be open to submitting my resume (since most companies offer a referral fee and it only takes 5 minutes, they often say yes). Regarding the salary question, after you’ve done research on sites like Glassdoor you can frame up the question with something like:

“Through my online research I’ve found that the typical salary range for a role like this is $60,000-$70,000 based on experience, would you happen to know this range is similar at your company?”

If you’re uncomfortable with that approach, politely ask the person if it would be okay to discuss the subject with something along the lines of this:

“This is helpful and I truly appreciate your guidance, would it be okay if I asked you a couple questions around the salary and incentives around this role?”

If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. If you ask politely and they decline, you can move onto your next question. From my experience I’d get my salary homework done and my resume on top of the pile since it was submitted to their human resources department by an employee.

Have you ever thought of a situation where you theoretically knew what to do, but when you’re actually in that situation your mind draws a blank? That’s what happened to me with the consumer tech company I was interviewing with. There are primarily two questions you need to prepare for: How much do you make? AND How much are you looking to make?

Before delving in, it’s important to understand the purpose of these questions and why a recruiter needs to know. The reason they ask your salary is so there’s a baseline understanding that the salary expectations are within the range they’ve budgeted for the role. It’s a waste of everyone’s time to have several interviews if the numbers are too far apart. There is no one-size fits all answer, but what’s helped me in the past is approaching the subject with humility and respecting the person on the other side of the table.

My favorite salary negotiation book is Salary Tutor – Learn the Salary Negotiation Secrets No One Ever Taught You by Jim Hopkinson, it’s worth its weight in gold. Jim teaches that if you say a number first, you lose negotiation leverage. The goal is to deflect those two questions with questions of your own. It can go something like this:

Recruiter: How much do you make?

Candidate: My previous salary wouldn’t be relevant because I worked in a different industry, I would just expect fair market value for my skill set. Can you tell me more about what the job entails?

OR

Recruiter: How much are you looking to make?

Candidate: I’d have to learn more about the responsibilities before I’d feel comfortable giving a number, can you tell me more about what the responsibilities entail?

While it’s Important to be a Ninja – It’s Not Always About the Money

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), states that the average salary for students out of college in 2014 was $45,473. Perhaps you’ve done your due diligence in the negotiation process and you have multiple offers in hand, one for $45,000 and the other for $50,000. You may be excited about the higher offer and the potential to make more, but as a student you should consider the value of the experience more than the money because the difference of a few thousand dollars is not going to change your lifestyle at this point in your career. Cover your expenses and make enough to survive, focus on the opportunity and upside of the learning experience. Sometimes the job that pays a little less in the beginning could be the right job that plants the seed for an outstanding career.

What Else Can You Negotiate?

There’s a misconception among students out of college that it’s not okay to negotiate. In fact, it is completely okay and recruiters will respect you for it as long as your approach is sincere. Besides your salary, there are a number of other benefits to consider. Most new hires at Google receive Restricted Stock Units that could equate to $10,000 which they account in your total compensation package. If you’ve applied at an early stage startup they typically include equity, and most organizations offer a retirement plan such as a 401K where they also match your investment to a certain amount per year. You can also ask for other benefits like an extra week of paid vacation or an allowance for additional courses you can expense each year.

The most overlooked benefit is healthcare. If the company is self-insured they will have several options, but they usually only provide a close look at their plans once you’re hired. Tell them that healthcare benefits are important to you, and ask if they can share an overview of their benefits package. If you are family planning, there can be a significant difference of the annual cost from one company’s benefits versus another.

Let me give you an example of what I mean by a sincere approach. During one of my previous negotiations there was a significant delta in the base salary between my expectations and what the company was willing to offer. My response was, “I’m thrilled about the opportunity and I’m open to making lifestyle changes to a more economical gym or doing away with cable. By making those changes I may still have to move in order to pay for my monthly expenses, I’m wondering if there’s anything we may be able to do for an increase in the range of $10,000? Again, I’m willing to make sacrifices but I don’t want to have to move.” The result was a bump in my base salary and a one-time signing bonus. Depending on the role, you can negotiate for a one-time stipend or ask them to cover your moving expenses if you have to relocate for the job. Every situation is unique and you have to take into consideration what is most important to you, leverage these tips and you will become a salary negotiation ninja.

How Tony Horton Got Unstuck

“You can train with the hope that your ego will be satisfied with your physical appearance in a mirror 90 days from now. Or you can train to improve today.”

It’s what celebrity trainer and creator the #1 home fitness program, Tony Horton, told me about being present. The truth is I need to show up more. Both in the gym and in my relationships. If I’m not making daily deposits in my health or with my family, I’m just hoping they’ll turn out great. That hope is not something I can afford.

If you’ve been breathing since 2003 you’ve been exposed to Tony’s energizing and motivating P90X commercials. P90X is a fitness blue-print: if you do the workouts and eat healthy you’ll get results. What attracted me to P90X is the pragmatic approach to diet and exercise. There are no magical shortcuts. You’re eating fruits, nuts, grains, whole foods, and vegetables. No microwaved dinners filled with sodium, just very sensible advice. The science behind it is muscle confusion, so my muscles never get used to the same workouts. Halfway through the program myself, I was in better shape in 45 days that I ever was in 16 years of working out in a gym.

I recently caught up with Tony to understand the patterns he’s uncovered that help people achieve more. I was fascinated by his latest book, The Big Picture: 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life. His book teaches you the mindset you need to stay disciplined and consistent. Rather than telling you his workouts will make you look good (which they will), he gets you to dig deeper and figure out why you want to get healthy. It is compelling because he ties improving our health to improved performance in all other areas of our lives.

Talking with Tony is like getting a vitamin B shot, not only do you feel healthier, you are pumped with a renewed fearless energy. Tony takes the fear out of failure which has permeated in both his personal and professional life, but things weren’t always that way.

In the beginning of his training career, Tony never had a mentor. His strategy to improve was to try new things that would address his weaknesses. He explains, “I knew intuitively that if I focused on things that I was unfamiliar with, if I was working on my weaknesses, that I was building my repertoire a little bit.”

Tony shared that the tipping point in his life was when he changed his own narrative. Tony admittedly lived many years where he was not present most of the time, and he would say “no” to almost everything and everyone. He had the constant “what if” playing on a virtuous loop in his head which caused him to be afraid of failure because didn’t want to embarrass himself.

It was then when he entrenched himself with the work of self-help gurus like Tony Robbins, Don Miguel Ruiz, and Deepak Chopra. He applied the lessons that made sense to him which ignited his personal growth.

“If you're stuck and you think you're going to improve your life based on what you already know you're fooling yourself,” he said.

Tony explains, “I learned to take a step back to assess life especially when potential failure would present itself. I would ask myself if my life was going to get smaller or if it was going to grow? Am I okay with not being perfect? Am I ok with attempting to be present for the journey and not attached to the outcome? The answer was always yes, so I always opened up the door to try again. I fell down and struggled, but each time I got up and it was a little bit better, improving my confidence. Each time I accepted the imperfection but used it as fuel to become better. Now I'm in a place where I'm content and pretty happy.”

“Failing doesn’t equal failures; they are lessons and stories to tell. If you look at it that way you won't let failure kill your ambition,” Tony says.

So how does Tony continue to live his life with this “no fear of failure” mentality? He reports, “I don’t assume or pretend to know everything, and I continue to say yes to more things that used to scare me. “

His openness to try new things would soon pay off. After training Harlan Goodman, an executive in the music business, Tony got an interesting phone call. The voice on the other end said, “I’m Tom Petty, I’m a friend of Harlan’s and I’d love to talk to you about a program.” Tony knew training a rock star was both an opportunity to feed himself and a potential bridge to a high-profile clientele. He said yes and crushed it! After working with Tom he also trained other high profile clients such as Billy Idol, Sean Connery, and Shirley MacLaine.

Based on all the people he’s trained, I asked Tony what the difference was between someone like Jeremy Yost who transformed his life and lost 180 pounds (doing P90X) compared to someone who struggles to reach their full potential.

“It’s deep and it’s personal. Some folks just never get to rock bottom. They hover above it and that’s okay for them.”

Tony explains, “Armageddon wouldn't get them to make a dietary shift or move physically. Some people get to rock bottom and are on the brink of total disaster. They can’t survive anymore, and they need to do something to get out of the fear, depression, anxiety, or sadness. How did Jeremy get there and others can’t? That problem I haven’t solved yet.”

Whether it is fitness or any area of our lives, once we have the self-awareness that we’re hovering over rock bottom, then and only then is when we can begin to change.

Tony’s life improved when he made a decision to make a change. That mindset helped him overcome his fear of failure while he was constantly working on his weaknesses to get better.

I concluded the interview with Tony in a pensive state and while I care about my health and fitness and got a rush from Tony’s B5 energy, what I was feeling was truly deeper. “What is it in my life that I’ve been delaying to change or improve?” I knew however, choosing to answer that question meant remembering Tony’s catchphrase to “Do my best and forget about the rest”, and not attaching myself to the outcome.

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You can listen to the full interview with Tony Horton here.

9 Podcasts That Will Make You 10% Smarter

The results are in! Thirty-one percent of podcast listeners earn upwards of $100,000 per year and monthly listeners have increased from 21% to 24% according to Edison Research. Listening to podcasts during my commute or while walking my dog has turned downtime into productive learning. Listening on iTunes on my iPhone has been my preference, but you can also find podcasts on apps like Stitcher and SoundCloud.

These are nine podcasts I subscribe to. They're non-fiction, interview formats where interesting people are sharing their experiences. Between these shows are thousands of episodes, I'm going to recommend my favorites to give you a road map:

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk

Ryan has interviewed over 200 of the most fascinating leaders ranging from athletes, business, academia, and the military. You'll find him comparing notes with leaders ranging from Seth Godin to Simon Sinek. His podcast has exploded on a global scale with listeners in 112 countries. Terrific podcast for aspiring leaders or current leaders who are looking to elevate their game.

Recommended episodes:

Episode 78: Kat Cole - From Hooters Waitress to President of Cinnabon

Episode 162 Adnan Virk - ESPN Broadcaster: Why You Should Always Say Yes

Episode 170: Simon Sinek - Why "Together is Better"

NPR's How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy deconstructs how some of the most notable businesses were built. His guests are legendary and Guy's interview style is entertaining because he helps the guest tell a story and he's not afraid to ask tough questions. Often times, they were on the brink of disaster before reaching a tipping point.

Recommended episodes:

Virgin: Richard Branson

Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher

Atari & Chuck E. Cheese's: Nolan Bushnell

The Tim Ferriss Show

Jamie Foxx has coined Ferriss "The Oprah of the internet." His podcast, where he deconstructs world-class performers, has surpassed 100 million downloads and is often the #1 ranked business podcast on iTunes. He's a NY Times Bestselling author of multiple books including the The 4-Hour Work Week. He recently published Tools of Titans which organizes his podcast interviews into Cliff Notes.

Recommended episodes:

Episode 60: Tim Ferriss Interviews Arnold Schwarzenegger on Psychological Warfare (And Much More)

Episode 157: The Importance of Being Dirty: Lessons from Mike Rowe

Episode 167: Jamie Fox Part 2 - Bringing the Thunder

The Unmistakable Creative with Srini Rao

He's interviewed over 600 creatives. You've probably never heard of many of his guests and they turn out to be some of the most jaw-dropping interviews I've ever heard. Srini himself is also a master interviewer which makes for thought-provoking conversation. He's also the author of the WSJ Bestseller, The Art of Being Unmistakable and Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best.

Recommended episodes:

Become a Rockstar on Whatever Stage You Touch with Sekou Andrews

Confessions of a Bank Robber with Joy Loya

The Neuroscience of Goals with Srini Pillay

NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross

Terry Gross has had intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Her voice has been a staple in legendary interviews over the last several decades.

Recommended episodes:

Tom Hanks Says Self-Doubt Is 'A High-Wire Act We All Walk'

Johnny Cash: The 'Fresh Air' Interview

'Fresh Air' Remembers Author Maurice Sendak

Magic Lessons podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert

I've never seen or read Eat Pray Love, the book and movie that catapulted Elizabeth onto the moon. This podcast is an extension of her latest book, Big Magic. Elizabeth digs deep as she connects with her guests about traumatic experiences in their lives. She guides her guests to overcome their biggest fears. Each episode is well-crafted and is the result of months of work. This show is a masterpiece.

Recommended episodes:

Ep. 201: "You Have a Screaming, Not a Calling." featuring Sarah Jones

Ep. 206: "Dancing From the Heart" featuring Amy Purdy

Ep. 207: "Living the Dream and Facing the Nightmare" featuring Neil Gaiman

Recode Decode with Kara Swisher

Kara has interviewed just about everyone in Silicon Valley. She commands the respect of tech giants and influential business leaders with her insightful reporting and straight-shooter interview style. This should be required listening for any MBA candidate.

Recommended episodes:

LeBron James's manager, Maverick Carter: Athletes become kings when they control their own message

How to beat Amazon (Ron Johnson, CEO, Enjoy)

Keith Rabois says winter is coming for wasteful startups

Revisionist History with Malcom Gladwell

The acclaimed author and speaker launched Season 1 of his podcast last year. It's as intriguing as his work in The New Yorker. Although he hasn't released a large volume of episodes, they're worth a listen.

Recommended episodes:

My Little Hundred Million

The Big Man Can't Shoot

Blame Game

The James Altucher Show

James is an author and entrepreneur. His podcast is first-class with a lineup of guests that mirror a Hollywood guest list. His vulnerability and transparency is something you'll appreciate.

Ep. 151 - Daymond John: Do This When Success is Your Only Option

Ep. 159 - Derek Sivers: The Zen Master of Entrepreneurship

Ep. 195 - Joshua Foer: The Explorer's Code

This list isn't exhaustive and many of these podcasts have other great episodes not mentioned here. What are your favorite podcasts? List them in the comments section below.

8 Tips to Ignite Your Personal Brand at Work

It helps you launch your career. It increases your upside for a promotion, and it’s what helps you keep your job during a tough economic climate. Often times it’s why past colleagues reach out to tap you for future opportunities. It’s your personal brand. It can take years to build, and it can self-destruct over night.

Here are eight tips to ignite your personal brand at work:

1. Network Over Lunch

Your company has an org chart. Find it, and determine who to have lunch with based on your interests. Is there team you’re interested in joining in the future or someone that could be an influential mentor? Send them an email, but do your homework first. Review their internal profile. I once received advice from someone whose profile listed that they were open to mentorship. Secondly, review their social profiles to see what they are interested. In a recent study, 1,000 cold emails were sent to executives to see how many people would respond. The 1,000 emails yielded a 1.7% response rate. You will shatter those results because you’re an internal employee. People feel obligated to respond.

2. Help Others

Setup 30 minute coffee meetings with people you don’t normally engage with. Don’t ask them how you can help. Instead, find out what they’re working on and see where you can add value.

3. Write A Thank You Note

In his book, A Simple Act of Gratitude, John Kralik set a goal to write 365 thank you notes over the course of the year. He's written over 2,000. Your goal is to write one thank you note. It could be a note to your colleague, boss, or even someone who often goes out of their way for you like your office assistant. They usually don’t feel as appreciated as they should be and a small note of appreciation will be something they will remember forever.

My example note to our office assistant:

I appreciate your help as it seems I'm often forgetting things or needing to do something last minute. I'm working on that habit. Thank you for booking rooms for me, reminding me to get my mail, and all the other the little things that mean a lot.

4. Start A Book Club

Send an email to your office-mates. Announce that you’re starting a book club and ask them if they’d like to join. Survey your peers to see what they’re interested in so you can select books that are industry specific or general business books. Guide the meeting by asking the group questions to warm up the conversation, but keep the dialogue as an open discussion for everyone to get involved. This will ignite your personal brand tenfold.

5. Ask Intelligent Questions

I was speaking with a chief marketing officer at a supplement company who makes protein powders about their digital marketing. I asked him what percentage of his business came from Bodybuilding.com. He was blown away and I had instant credibility. That specific retailer is the largest online store in the world, so by asking that question he knew I had domain expertise. Next time you’re in a meeting ask questions that subtly show you’ve done your homework.

6. Get Involved In A 20% Project

At Google, we were encouraged to spend 20% of our time working on a project we were passionate about. It was also the Trojan horse for joining a new team and gaining experience outside of your role. If your company doesn’t allow that, find a project you can work where you can contribute outside of your normal working hours.

7. Be Charismatic

In The Charisma Myth, Olivia Fox Cabane explains a study done by MIT Media Lab that concluded it could predict the outcome of negotiations and business plan pitches with 87% accuracy merely by analyzing the person’s body language. Cabane says that it doesn’t matter how great your pitch is, if your body language is wrong you won’t be charismatic. In turn, with the right body language you can be charismatic without saying a word. This book helps you better your communication skills which elevates your charisma.

8. Be Noticed For The Right Stuff

Being late to meetings, bad hygiene, and working on your laptop during meetings all negatively affect your personal brand. As important as it is to make deposits to build your personal brand, you want to avoid things you don’t want to be noticed for.

11 Unconventional Lessons in Sales I Wish I Learned 10 Years Ago

I've spent 10 years in various sales roles at Verizon, BlackBerry, Google, and now Gartner. I've done many types of roles like inside, outside, and channel sales. Some were short sales cycles and others were long-term relationship based roles. I've learned a lot and I'm continuously learning every day. I've read the classics and enjoy reading new books on the subject, it boils down to bettering your communication skills. I wish I knew what I know now 10 years ago, but some lessons are learned first-hand. Here are 11 of them:

Ask Yourself This Question Every Morning: What has to happen in order for me to have a successful day? It’s usually anywhere from three to five things you need to get gone. Look at your calendar to see if your meetings or the time you’ve blocked reflects those initiatives. Tim Ferris recommends writing those things down on a post-it note. I like sticking that post-it note on my laptop so it’s visual at all times. It's easy to get distracted by colleagues pinging you or the new message alert popping up in Microsoft Outlook. You can turn it off with five quick steps in this article.

Make The Tasks You Don’t Enjoy Fun: There’s only one thing I hate more than cold calling, and that’s washing dishes. One way to spice up cold calling is to grab a friend and hop in a conference room together. Be sure to prepare your call list ahead of time. One person starts cold calling while the other person takes notes to provide feedback later on. Once that person hangs up, the other person must take the phone and place the next call. It’s going to be the most fun cold calling session, ever.

Be Indispensable: When a client asks, “Is there anything else we should be doing?” There’s a level of trust they have in you. In his book, The Sales Acceleration Formula, Mark Roberge describes how the new way of selling is consultative. Imagine that you are a doctor and your prospect is the patient. They want your expertise, but you can’t diagnose them until you’ve asked them the right questions and understood their unique situation. After a $1M pitch a CEO of a large vitamin company leaned over and said, “Omaid, what else should we be doing?” I recommended they have a strategy around Pinterest for the product they are selling because that’s where their target audience is spending their time. I didn’t work for Pinterest, but I knew it was important in order for them to succeed.

Co-pitch To On-board Fast: I’ve found co-pitching deals as the most effective way to learn and ramp up in a new role. You’re not shadowing a top performer, you’re working with one. You learn the talk track and your confidence is uplifted ten-fold by doing rather than watching. Organizations should not split deals to incentivize the seasoned rep. The top performer should reward the new rep in good will.

Put Your Clients Interest First: Sounds obvious, but if you look around you’ll see most salespeople put their own interests first in order to close a deal. In the near-term you may generate less revenue, but you’re likely to have a fruitful relationship over the long-haul. By doing this, you’re more likely to become indispensable to your clients; and that is the ultimate success.

Have Good Salesforce Hygiene: Record everything in your Customer Relationship Management tool so you don’t have to rely on your memory. Besides, if you use tasks in Salesforce you’ll go to bed in peace knowing your to-do list is already in-tact. This also makes it more effective for your management team to pull reports that are an accurate reflection of your productivity.

Use Parkinson’s Law: It’s the adage that work expands as to fill the time available for its completion. If you block off 2 hours on your calendar to prepare for a presentation, you’re highly likely to complete the task in those 2 hours. If you tell yourself to get it done on Friday, you’ll spend half the day or forget to start preparing in the first place.

Celebrate Your Wins: Imagine if you have a quarterly quota. Four times per year you’re either going to achieve or miss your goal. Four times per year you’re going to be happy or feel miserable.  Create the rules of the game in your favor so you have better odds of winning. Set weekly goals around revenue targets and behavior metrics. For example, if my quota was $500,000 for the quarter I’d aim to close $42,000 in revenue every week (if there’s 12 weeks in a quarter). I’d also want to understand how many calls it takes for me to land an appointment, and how many appointments turn into closed deals. If my close rate is 50% I’d want 4 appointments each week (if my average deal size is $21,000) in order to achieve my quarterly goal. It’s a great feeling to celebrate every Friday rather than once every 12 weeks.

Be Less Social: Social selling is overhyped. I’ve yet to close a deal over Instagram. Do I think you should follow your customers on Twitter to be informed? Absolutely. But like a balanced offense in football, a team should have both a solid running and passing attack. There’s a time and a place for communicating over social channels. Remember, people buy from people. Next time you have an important message for a client, think about picking up the phone instead of sending an email. Human interaction over the phone or in person speeds everything up and customers understand the context of the conversation.

Continue To Learn: My wife always says that if it’s important to you, you’ll make time. If you play fantasy football, put in the time to be successful, but don’t put in all your time. I was in a coffee shop in Long Beach 6 years ago with an executive and was describing a CEO study she recently read. She said the constant theme for every CEO was that they all continued to educate themselves. Whether it’s taking classes, e-learning sites like Lynda.com, or reading books. Take the time to make deposits in your skill set because it will pay dividends.

Find A Mentor: It’s important to find a mentor at your company early on. Someone who can guide you through your current role and be a sounding board for your future interests. A friend of mine worked at a hot startup in the Bay Area and I asked him if he had a mentor there. It’s a great company with incredible leadership. He said he did not. When you work at the company, leaders are more likely to respond from your email because you are an internal employee. The approach is very important (which is a conversation for another day) but my friend ended up getting mentored by a VP who reports to the CEO of a 10,000 person company.