The Theory of Relativity and Successful Selling

The Theory of Relativity was devised by the great Albert Einstein. This theory says that space and time are relative and are not absolute. If a train in barreling down the tracks and the speedometer says it is going 85 miles per hour, how fast is the train going? Of course, if you ask the average person this question he would most certainly say that the train was going 85 miles per hour. This is right if you are comparing the train to something that is not moving. But if you compare it to the train that is rolling on the next track that is going 75 miles per hour, then the train in question is only moving at ten miles per hour.

Now, you are probably wondering what in the world does this have to do with sales. When you consider your company's sales performance, what is the standard that you compare it to? Do you compare your company to the other companies that sell the same product as you? Is your standard your quota or is it a record-breaking sales season you experienced three years ago?

Got the point? These comparative standards are all important and are valid, but they all do one thing and that is limit your potential. Of course hitting your quota is important and achieving your income expectations and goals is important too. The question is, could you do more? The train going 85 miles per hour is moving along at a decent clip but only relative to something that is not moving. Your competition moves with you and you may be in the lead now but the competition won't go away.



If you compare that same train to a rocket ship, the speed of the train is not impressive. The rocket ship can cover many more miles in a shorter amount of time. Your competition is always evolving and so are your customers. This means you had better evolve as well in order to stay competitive.

The people who succeed in sales all have something in common and they are doing one thing right. That is they do not compare themselves with others or to any standard. This gives them unlimited growth potential. If great thinkers and innovators in our society had not done just this, then we would be without a lot of luxurious inventions that we take for granted today.

The theory of relativity is at work in nature all the time. If you put a fish in a small fish tank, that fish will only grow as large as the tank allows. The tank is limiting its growth and its size. If that same fish is put into a large tank, the fish grows bigger. If you want to do something very well, do it with people who are already doing that thing very well.

If you are putting limitations on your sales success and are not meeting your quotas take a look at whether or not you compare yourself to a higher standard. In order to be successful you must remove those standards and stop comparing yourself. Do all you can to improve yourself and your company. Make your goals the very best they can be. Your only obstacle to succeeding is yourself.