Success in Sales Breeds Complacency — Here Are 5 Ways to Beat It

Fact: We’re in the middle of August.

Rant: I hate August.

August is one of the few months in the year without a major holiday on the calendar (No, “National Marshmallow Toasting Day” is not a major holiday, and yes, Halloween in October is), and while “bringing my A game” is typically my operating system’s default setting, I’ll be the first to tell you that remaining motivated when August comes around is a purposeful effort.

Rant: over.

Okay, so, let’s say you agree with me that August…..sucks.

Now, take the month of August (when you typically hear so. many. out. of. office. messages.) and combine it with an incredibly positive outlook in your line of work (for me, that’s sales), and you could be thinking “This seems good enough for now.”

False.

In my early sales leadership career (circa 2014 at Google), our sales team crushed our expectations in a quarter (we achieved 121% to target, alongside an internal VP-level award recognizing our sales teams’ efforts — no big deal), and within a week, the Global Sales Director at the time sent an org-wide email a two weeks after that included the phrase “Success breeds complacency.”

I froze in my office looking dead at the screen.

Google Search result for the word “complacency.”

Was I being complacent?

Was I resting on our achievements from the previous quarter?

Did I just assume that this momentum would carry over into the next quarter?

Did I just hang out these last two weeks?

And sure enough, the answer made itself evident, and the prophecy was fulfilled — we missed our target by 10% the following quarter.

It took us two (2) quarters to get back above 100%. We had stepped off the gas, became complacent, and just like the month of August — it sucked.

A lesson learned the hard way, as lessons often are.

If you’re looking to leverage the success you’ve seen recently (in sales, otherwise) and maximize your potential, here are five (5) pieces of advice:

1. When you’re hot, everyone wants to talk to you. While success can breed complacency, success can also breed future success and attract attention. When you over-achieve, your confidence is at all-time high. And more importantly, that confidence has this uncanny ability to spill into conversations with clients and prospects alike. People are drawn to professionals that act with confidence and clarity. Leverage that confidence and demonstrate how you can help your clients and prospects succeed with you and your organization.
2. Playing ahead gives you the freedom to think ahead. When you’re behind target, you are focused on the short-term impact of your efforts. And when you’re ahead of the game, you can think longer term. What obstacles are coming in October? December? Next year? How can you get ahead of the game and plan your success?
3. John F. Kennedy said “The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” When you have time to think, you have time to reflect on the areas in your approach that can improve (yes, we all have things to improve.) This is a great time to tinker around with an updated approach and practice your skills. Be proactive — look at your game and see what areas can be leveled up.
4. Time is the most precious resource we have — use it to learn. In all my travels (I’m 5,000 miles away from being a Million Miler on Delta, btw), the best sales teams and individuals are those that continuously learn from themselves and those around them. How often do you carve out time to learn (watch a recording, read a PDF, engage in a sales training) when you’re pacing behind your quota? (Answer: not often.) Take advantage of this time to focus on areas where you can improve (cold calling, setting an agenda, pitching, closing, actively listening), and your future self (and hopefully your commission check) will thank you.
5. **** if you’re falling into a rut after a strong quarter, put yourself in the game and jump on sales calls with your teammates with no expectation of anything in return. Being a pro is doing the same small things over and over. One of the ways to catch fire again is to put yourself in a position to create a spark. Surrounding yourself by those doing the job and doing the work will undoubtedly encourage you to get going again.

This is August 15, 2022.

As a popular sales leader and coach says, “Success is your duty….Success provides confidence, security, a sense of comfort, the ability to contribute at a greater level, and hope and leadership for others in terms of what is possible.”

We have 138 days until the end of the year. Let’s get after it.

KL

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