Day 2 of: Ten Days To Your Best Q4 - Play Bigger!

Play Bigger – Set Bigger Goals and Expectations for You
(subtitle: Get Out of Your Homeostasis)

I promised to be edgy in this email series I'm posting, right?

Let me ask you this – how many people around you – on your team, or if you’re independent – throw out a challenge for you to get yourself to the next level? They CALL YOU on the fact that you’re not playing big enough – not bold enough – you’re doing the same old things, getting the same results?

Point #1 – find people to do this on a regular basis – this is what good coaches do, and this is what good mentors can do. Good professional peers, or Mastermind groups can do this as well.

Point #2 – unless you “step out” of that wonderful thing we call a “comfort zone” – you can’t do great things. You’ll ALWAYS be just mediocre. Now I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want clients to think of me as is mediocre. Average. Ordinary. If a client said to me that I did “an average job” with nothing exceptional, I would first clarify our original expectations, then take it as a challenge to exceed expectations the next time around.

Example - This summer, for my professional development as a speaker and trainer (as well as a long time sales pro) – I spent an extremely intensive week in Minnesota to become a professional fundraising auctioneer. On one hand, I was frustrated with the auctioneer choices (or lack of) here in my area, and do some non-profit work. Beyond that, though – I knew it would be a S-T-R-E-T-C-H (a huge one) for me to be more responsible for the direct success of a live, charity auction and it would help me develop a “bigger” more “out there” presence. This is good because as a trainer, coach and facilitator, what I’m really offering is an “experience” rather than a product or service. I knew I wanted to be more “out there” and more memorable – so this is what I chose to do.

All seemed just fine – telling people, “I’m a fundraising auctioneer now” – until it was time to take the stage and actually do it for real. I always wonder about who is the first patient of a new brain surgeon – I felt a bit like that with my fundraising clients – and I’m fortunate that so far have gotten good, constructive and positive feedback on my first two events. I found that the fear I had was a great signal to myself that I was “pushing the envelope” – and was pleased since I had felt pretty comfortable –way TOO comfortable for some time.

Your Turn – A Way You Can Participate In Your Professional Development:

Find THREE ways you can push yourself out of your comfort zone – here are some ideas – send me yours as well:

Call someone you normally would think that it would be impossible to get in touch with (the CEO or president rather than your normal VP level or whoever you’d normally approach)
Contact someone you admire in business – a successful sales executive, or someone in your field (not at your company) and interview them by phone or in person for coffee if they are near you. Target gaining three new ideas (can you tell that I like to work in threes?)
You know yourself better than anyone (or you should… we’ll talk about that tomorrow…) – What is a way to REALLY push YOU to greatness? Do THAT one thing. You probably know what it is. Joining Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie for improved public speaking? Becoming an author? Joining a professional group? Creating a business plan for your success? Do it.

Share your successes through comments at the end of this post...... let's get the discussion going!

If you need to make more sales calls this week, consider Power Wednesday TOMORROW – go here (great peer support and championing to get calls done!)