To succeed and grow in your sales career, you must first get past the mentality of "make more sales," "hit my quota," "end of the month," "end of the quarter" or "make my plan." It’s not that you don’t have to do those things, but you have think and see beyond them.

How do you think about things?

Do you wake up in the morning and think about what the weather is, or do you think about your frame of mind and how to ensure a positive day?

Do you turn on the TV without thinking, or do you read a few pages of a book to generate thought?

Do you think about traffic on the way to work, or your first sales call of the day and how successful it will be?

Do you think about prospecting and leads, or building relationships to earn referrals?

How do you see things?

Do you see the big picture or a

commission?

Do you see the big picture or a sale?

Do you see the big picture or a quota?

Do you see the big picture or a cold call?

Do you see the big picture or your job?

Do you see the big picture or

the big problems?

Do you see the big picture or the big complaints?

Do you see the big picture or the

present economy?

Do you see the big picture or the

price of gasoline?

If you "see" your career with the right vision, and you "think about" your actions with the right vision, then your direction will be toward success rather than just "numbers." And your direction will be toward "best" not just "sales."

The following list is an eye opener and a brain opener. I am asking you to read, understand, apply, and become proficient in each of these elements and characteristics of the big picture.

The big picture is:

• Delivering value.

• Having a great attitude every day.

• Believing in what you do.

• Being of service without measuring.

• Earning a referral.

• Building a relationship.

• Thinking long term.

• Making all decisions based on

the person you seek to become.

• Having a great reputation.

• Community volunteering and helping.

• Creating family and community value.

• Achievement.

• Improvement.

• Striving to be your best.

• Dedicating yourself to remaining a life-long student in sales, service, and attitude.

• Devoting yourself to your success and your fulfillment.

• Loving what you do.

How much time do you devote to thinking about the big picture? Can you visualize the big picture? Can you see the big picture? Is it a clear picture? Are you taking action towards the big picture? Are you becoming proficient in the elements of the big picture? Or are you "too busy" to see big, because you’re all wrapped up in small?

Small is striving for a new car, or some other material goal. Small is spending your time planning a one-week vacation or worrying about just "making your numbers."

I saw a quote the other day that gave me an insightful aha! Perhaps it will do the same for you. "People think I’m disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference." That came from the late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

It’s interesting to me that people in the arts have dedication and devotion to their craft. They love what they do, and they’re emotionally driven to perform their personal best every day. And those who rise to the top earn a fortune.

They have a vision of the performance way before they perform. They think about their performance way before they execute it. And they practice to perfect their skills with a devotion to excel.

Here are a few thoughts that will help your vision and your thinking:

• Dedicate more time for yourself and your studies and the money will follow.

• Love what you do and the money

will follow.

• Help enough people and the money will follow.

• Be the best at what you do and the money will follow.

Take career achievement actions, don’t just make more sales calls.

What do you think?

What do you see?