I’ve had smarter people around me all my life, but I haven’t run into one yet that can outwork me. And if they can’t outwork you, then smarts aren’t going to do them much good. That’s just the way it is. And if you believe that and live by it, you’d be surprised at much fun you can have.

–Woody Hayes

I was never the best at cold calling. I had to work very hard to gain any competency at all. I have worked with all kinds of salespeople who were better than I was at cold calling but, when I only carried a bag, I could work the entire day without putting down the telephone.

It was then that I noticed that the salespeople who did well weren’t the best at any one given task; they were the ones with the strongest self-discipline and work ethic.

Can You?

You may not be as good on the telephone as some of your competitors. Can you outsell them by outworking them on the telephone? Can you muster your self-discipline and work ethic to out-prospect them?

You may not have nearly as much experience as some of your competitors. Can you outwork your competitors by reading, studying, and developing the business acumen that helps to make what situational knowledge experience that you do have even more powerful?

Many of your competitors are bigger than you, and many of them have greater resources. Can you outsell them by nurturing and developing your dream client relationships? Can you out-hustle them by developing the consensus up and down the organization and, by doing so, eliminate the potential benefits of your competitor’s greater size?

Some of your competitors are good salespeople; you should respect them. But most of them struggle with the same issues that you do. Can you outwork your competitors by taking a true consultative approach and shift the decision-making factor from price to the cost of the actual value created? It’s hard work, and most of your competitors don’t want to rise to this challenge at all.

The Hustle

There are lots of things that can make the difference in a sale. But there is nothing that makes a larger impact on whether you win or lose a dream client opportunity than you! You are the difference that can make a difference.

And know this, there will always be smarter salespeople. There will always be salespeople who have a product or service that may be easier to sell. There will always be salespeople with advantages that you will likely never have.

But there will also be very few salespeople who are willing to try to outwork or out-hustle you. There will always be fewer salespeople who are willing to do the heavy lifting, the hard work that makes possible your success in sales—or in any other endeavor.

You can outsell them by outworking them.

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. Follow me on Twitter, connect to me on LinkedIn, or friend me on Facebook. If I can help you or your sales organization, check out my coaching and consulting firm, B2B Sales Coach & Consultancy, email me, or call me at (614) 212-4729.

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