Are you a Buffalo or an Eagle?

Do you know why buffalos run over the edge of cliffs and fall to their deaths? Because their eyes are on the side of their heads – they only see what the rest of the herd is doing. They do what everyone else does. They don’t look ahead like eagles. Losers do what is quick, easy, popular, and cheap. Winners do whatever it takes to make their dreams come true.

When Sandy joined my sales team, I gave her the usual introduction. “Sandy, you’re a commission-only salesperson. Let me tell you what happens to most of my commission-only salespeople, so you can never say I didn’t warn you. 90% of people quit just as they’re about to make a breakthrough. They give up when they’re teetering on the brink of success. They throw in the towel when they’re inches from the Finish line. They cut bait just before they reel in the biggest fish they ever met. They leave the restaurant just before the prime rib arrives at their table. That is why the top of the ladder is never crowded. You can decide to do what all those losers do, or you can decide to hang in there until you hit pay dirt. Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

One of the reasons why people quit to soon is that they mix with quitters who are constantly beckoning them to the next best thing. They hang out with wimps who tell them not to work too hard, and give them lots of reasons to cut and run like cowards. They follow the herd into the bar instead of making more sales calls. Think about this: If you had a meeting with Donald Trump or Winston Churchill and you told him that you were considering quitting, what kind of response would you expect? Mix with winners who will motivate, inspire, push, encourage, and assist you to persist when the going gets tough. In fact, when things are hard, winners get even more motivated! When winners face obstacles, they find a way over, under, around or through those obstacles. Losers find excuses, light another cigarette, and slither back to bed. Don’t associate with them.

The richest man in British Columbia, Jim Pattison, is said to be wealthier than the Donald. There is a story that he used to fire his weakest car salesman every month. Guess how losers respond to that information? That’s right, they throw up their arms in disgust and cry how unfair he is and what a nasty man he is. How do winners respond? They agree that that’s a smart thing to do – get rid of the dross and spend your time with the producers. Hang tough. Be prepared to do whatever it takes, 24/7/365. Don’t even CONSIDER the option to give up. Don’t even think about the possibility of failure, because you only fail when you quit. Get in for the long run and your success is guaranteed. You will find very little competition.

Sandy remembered what I taught her and insulated herself from whiners and excusiologists. She read only positive books, spent her time in meaningful pursuits, and never stopped until she reached her goals. She made a lot of money and she recruited people like herself. She shared my motto from Paul J. Meyer: “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.”

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com