The first time you try a new prospecting activity, it will probably fail miserably. And that can create an enormous disconnect.
That's not just you, though—that's just the way it works. Want to make prospecting activities work for you? There's one proven method.
Let's take cold calls as an example. There are two types of people: Those who are willing to try cold calls, and those who aren't.
The first time you make a cold call, you're probably not going to get anything out of it. It might take you 10, 50, or even 100 times to gain traction. Eventually, if you're focusing on it, you'll get a little bit better at it over time.
And as you improve your skills, one of two things is going to happen.
First, you might get better at it. If you see results here and there, you can focus on making gradual, incremental improvement on a continual basis. In other words, you're focusing on getting a little bit better all the time.
Second, you might realize it's an activity that doesn't fit your world. It's true, cold calling—just as an example—doesn't fit in everyone's world!
But if you start out by saying, "Cold calls don't work in my world!" then you're only limiting yourself.
In Sandler, we have a concept known as the belief wheel. Your belief drives your attitude, which drives your actions, which drives your results, which drive your beliefs. It's also known as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The only way to break that cycle is to actually do the actions. That's how you make new prospecting activities work. Do the actions, and give them time to succeed or fail.
