The question here is how fast I can write a blog that has value and content. I’ve only got five minutes, so I’m going to cut to the chase and say that there’s one skill that you can cultivate which will make you more successful more quickly than any other skill I know, and that is the one I’m using right now; the ability to think on your feet (or in my case, on my butt).

You need to get out of the habit of trying to plan for every contingency in your selling career and start stepping out, taking action, with little or no idea where you’re heading. The one thing you need to have when you enter any interaction is an intention.

When You Are Present – The Right Action Will Be Obvious

Beyond that, the rest can come along when needed. I call it traveling light. What stops you from responding appropriately to clients, prospects, team members, etc. is not a lack of knowledge (assuming you’ve taken the time to become knowledgeable; and if not, hit yourself) but a lack of presence. You need to become so present that the right action will become completely obvious at the right time, and you’ll find yourself communicating brilliantly, just because you’ve set the intention to do so.

Focus On Intention

To cultivate that kind of intention and presence requires flexing an entirely different muscle than the one you’ve been flexing. You need to learn how to hyper-focus on whatever you’re doing. It may sound easy, but if you’re like most, you have no idea how poor you are at that. Try walking down the road and seeing how far you get before your awareness of the moment is replaced by a series of thoughts. What I’m suggesting is you learn to quiet those thoughts, and what will flood into your mind in their place will be a powerful combination of creativity and resourcefulness.

OK, that’s it. My five minutes are up. I wonder how I did. No time to read it, so you can let me know, OK?

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