You are likely goping to disagree with my next statement.

You quit too early.

I don't mean the time you punch out or stop calling customers and prospects or head home. I'm talking about how much time and effort you invest when incorporating a new sales strategy into your routine. You see, most people fail to spend enough time to incorporate a new concept into their sales routine and often give up before that concept has been fully integrated into their approach. They give up because they don't get the results they thought they would or as quickly as they want.

Allow me to share a personal example.

A little while back, I thought I would learn how to play the guitar so I went to a local music store and rented an electric guitar and an amplifier. I also bought a DVD self-study program. During the drive home I thought that I'd be playing a riff from one of my favourite rock tunes in couple of months. Needless to say, I surprised (and disappointed)!

Four months later I had made some progress but I could still only play a few bars without making a mistake and withouth referring to the sheet music. I had only learned to play three strings after four months! Unfortunately, I didn't take into consideration that I had NEVER learned how to read sheet music or taken a single music lesson in my life. A couple of weeks later, I brought the equipment back to the store believing that I was too old to learn how to play the guitar.

However, some time later I read a blog post by a friend of mine who talked about his struggle trying to learn a form of martial arts. He mentioned that he was still struggling to master a few basic moves after six months of lessons.

A few days later I spoke with a colleague who reminded me that it usually takes up to 10,000 hours of practice to completely master a particular skill. It doesn't matter what that skill is. It can include learning how to write, more effectively, delivering a powerful speech, or becoming competent in a particular sport.

I have to say that I felt like a moron because I realized that I had quit too early. I didn't give myself permission to be a beginner or allow myself enough time to learn the complexities of reading music and playing a musical instrument.

This lesson is very relevant to sales and selling.

Learning a new sales concept takes time. I'm not suggesting that it will take you 10,000 hours to learn how to sell effectively but understanding a new sales concept is completely different than mastering it and most people don't give themselves enough time to become comfortable AND competent integrating new strategies into their routine.

People in my sales training workshops often say that they did not get the desired result after trying to implement a specific concept. In most cases, they made one or two attempts then gave up. But, like any other new skill, it is essential to give yourself enough time to become comfortable integrating that concept into your routine.

The only way to become proficient is to practise, practise, practise. Too many people forget that progress is slow; much slower than we desire. We have become accustomed to living in a quick fix society that offers easy solutions and fast answers. But personal development doesn't happen that quickly.

Let me put this into perspective and share one last example.

A good friend of mine bought a Porsche a few years ago and took advanced driving lessons shortly after taking possession. He was surprised how challenging it was to learn how to handle fast curves and hard braking even though he was already a very competent drive and after an intense weekend of driving he only started to grasp the basics. He has since returned to the driving school and improved his skills.

Here's the lesson.

Give yourself time to become comfortable applying a new sales concept before you quit. Invest the appropriate amount of time to practise that concept. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. Yes, you will make mistakes. You will feel awkward at first. You will fail many times before you master that concept. But, it you stick with it you will eventually get better. You WILL master that skill.

Don't be a quitter!