BLOG

The 4-Minute Mile: Extreme Certainty

Jamie Shanks
Jamie Shanks

Extreme Certainty

In the recorded history of professional running, experts long held the belief that human beings could never run a mile in 4 minutes. Scientific reasons were delivered to support this hypothesis and the typical propaganda then ensued.

Roger Bannister came along on May 6, 1954 (almost 60 years ago) and shattered those expectations. What was so different about him that he was able to do this? Scientists were clear as crystal on how human physiology couldn’t achieve this. So what happened?

Extreme certainty.

It was a belief system that changed everything. Bannister was able to repeatedly play a movie in his mind on how he would do it. Every tiny aspect of that mile was clear for him; he had a very well-defined and visual plan on how he’d execute this. Surprisingly enough, two short months after this was done, it was repeated again. Since then, countless human beings have gone on to break the 4-Minute Mile. The current record is held by a Moroccan at 3:43. High School students have even gone on to claim this coveted accomplishment (the latest one in 2011). Rumors are that over 2000 people have broken this record. Let’s leave these rumors, legends and folklore at the door and concentrate only on what we know so far.

Science now accepts the 4-Minute Mile as a generally accepted phenomenon. Ever hear of the Reticular Activating System? It’s that part of your brain that gets laser-focused on an idea that you’re thinking of. In short, greater clarity and definition of your goal can help you to play this picture over and over again in your head.

Now, there are rumblings of a 3-Minute Mile being broken. There are, expectedly, critics, naysayers and general pessimists who’d like to remind us that this can’t be done. It’s interesting to see how history repeats itself.

So what’s the point of all this? Why am I rumbling about the 4-Minute Mile of all things? I should be talking about sales process, pipelines, forecasts, sales kick-offs and exciting things like that.

Social Media

It was only a few short years ago that sales leaders were doubting the importance of social media in sales. Some companies still have a “no social media” policy at work. This rigidity will kill them. Plain and simple

My hope is that as sales professionals we accept that the way we’re selling has to change. Buyers are far more engaged and informed; they’re collecting, distilling and analyzing mountains of information online without us. It’s up to us to help them in a manner which they’re comfortable with, at their pace, while adding value to their buying journey. My fear is that the more we don’t do this, the more we ignore this reality, the more we downplay the importance of accepting social as another essential requirement in sales…the more we’ll see some of our brightest stars become extinct.

With extreme certainty, there are sales professionals who are using social media to supercharge their results. They’re online carving out their own niches as experts, authorities and subject matter experts and profiting handsomely. By delivering the information potential buyers are seeking, they are building strong relationships and growing their sales.

Believe it or not, there are still naysayers of social media. They’re happy to cling to their old ways while the world passes them by. Here’s the lesson for you: don’t be one of them.

With extreme certainty, anything is possible. You decide which side of the fence you’d rather play on. The choice is yours.

The Bottom Line

2014 and Q1 are here. This is your chance to start the process of learning on what social selling is.

Need help? We’ve got you covered – check out these blogs.

Got questions? We’ve got answers.

If you need help and guidance on getting started, feel free to contact me to get started. Social selling isn’t difficult; it’s just different.

To learn more about Social Selling check out 10 Steps to Becoming a Social Selling Machine or 9 Steps to a Winning LinkedIn Profile for Sales Professionals. For tips, tricks and more rants, we could always set-up a time to chat using my below schedule …

Amar Sheth

CTA

So what are you waiting for? Download the below guides .

9 Step Thumb10 Step Book

Follow Us

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get our latest blogs direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Subscribe to receive more sales insights, analysis, and perspectives from Sales For Life.

The Ultimate Guide to Social Selling