Compete Don't Compare

"Some other house, some other car than what you drive, or some other place than where you are . . . we envy other people's faces, yet, before you go trade places think, for it's most likely true, that other people envy you."

Bill Glass, the former Cleveland Browns' All-Pro says to his audiences, "Be yourself, but learn to be your best self. Don't use being yourself as an excuse for laziness or mediocrity. Be what you ought to be. Stretch toward what you are created to be and in the stretching, you're certain to become a better and more effective person."

Each of us measures success differently. However, we can all agree that success in selling today isn't measured by what we are. It's measured by what we are, compared to what we could be. In other words, measure your individual success in selling by comparing it to your real potential -- your best self.

Coy Eklund, the former Equitable Life CEO, shared this with us: "Most salespeople are presently capable of performing far better than they ever choose to do. They have the skill, the knowledge, the support information and the capacity to do a better job, but the will must accompany the skill. They must have the spirit and be thinking right."

Thinking right is knowing that whatever it is you want from your sales career - whether it be wealth, expression, excitement, security, travel or leisure, you can get more of it faster by forming the habit of competing with yourself. You'll likely hold yourself to a higher standard than will others.

You'll gain the reputation of being a strong competitor by following these five guidelines:

• Know yourself -- then you can be true to your best self.
• Believe in self-development. All development is self-development.
• Be self-disciplined. Put forth honest, intelligent effort. As Emerson said, "The wise, the strong, the successful people believe in cause and effect."
• Break your own record. Know the score. Keep the score. Learn from the score, and the score will improve. Beat yesterday.
• Always bounce back. How do you handle adversity? Into each life some rain must fall. Expect it, accept it, deal with it and move forward. View defeat as a temporary thing.

Compete, don't compare. Be your best self.