Hardwood Floors February/March 2026

Sales Savvy (Continued)

TIP #1 – STRETCH YOUR TIME HORIZON Get out of the present moment causing you pain. In the messy middle, look to the future. • Where do you expect to be in three years? • What is the three-year potential of your territory or region? • Five years from now, will the struggles I’m currently facing really matter? • Fast-forward three years: your best prospects are now loyal customers. How would you describe that relationship? We move in the direction of our thoughts; we behave as we believe. The clearer our vision, the easier it is to bust through the blocks. A clear vision is like a sharpened pick axe, used to break through the boulders in our way. Stretch the time horizon backward as well. In the painful present, we tend to notice the gap ahead of us more than the progress behind us. Take stock of how (and where) you started and recognize your progress. In this moment of clarity, you revisit your vision, which motivates you to move forward. If you improved by 1 percent every day, you would be 100 percent better in 70 days. Consider how this concept applies to a sales opportunity. Moving forward 1 percent every day could amount to a 100 percent sales increase in a few months. Even half a percent generates progress. Fractional improvements still lead to movement. Success is rarely a giant leap; it’s often created through a series of small wins. Ask yourself these questions to define your 1 percent improvement: • What is the next immediate best step to generate progress? • What is one additional step to further align this solution with their needs? • What is another touchpoint I can use to differentiate our solution? • How can I take this project one step further so it’s easier for them to say yes? Everyone makes a pit stop at the messy middle. Sometimes it’s writer’s block. Other times, it’s pursuing a sales opportunity. Although this stage is uncomfortable, take comfort in knowing it’s part of the process. Keep going! Revisit your vision for the future. Look to the past to gauge progress, and focus on small wins in the right direction. Everything looks like a failure in the middle. Soon, this messy middle will be in the distant past. TIP #2 – FOCUS ON SMALL WINS TO GENERATE MOMENTUM

Paul Reilly is a speaker, sales trainer, and author of Selling Through Tough Times and coauthor of Value-Added Selling. He is also the creator of CoachVAS.ai, the first AI sales coach powered by Value-Added Selling. Contact him at paul@reillysalestraining.com or visit tomreillytraining.com to sign up for the free newsletter.

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