It's Not Tough... It's Normal

Over the past year, when I ask leaders and sales people how it's going, most of the time the response I get is, "it's tough out there…"

I have a different view. What if it isn't "tough", what if it's just "normal".

What if this the current state of the market is as good as it's going to get. What if this is the new playing field, the new competitive landscape - the new normal.

If you buy into the view that it's tough out there, it's easy to get into victim mode and see the problem as "out there". For some, this view can be a convenient excuse not to change. If the problem is "out there" you don't have to accept responsibility for your results and your reality.

As soon as you shift your perspective from, "it's tough" to "it's normal", then the onus is on you to do something about. You have to "own" your reality and your results. You step into victor mode: "if it's going to be, it's up to me".

The tough part then moves from being outside you to being within you.

This is a good thing. You can't change the market, but you can change yourself. Change is challenging. It involves asking tough questions, stepping outside your comfort zone and playing a bigger game.

And here's my mic drop moment - by adopting a victor mindset and shifting your perspective from "it's tough" to "it's normal" - you can rise to the challenges in front of you, tap into your potential and become better than ever before.

You can turn a normal market - into an extraordinary opportunity.

So next time you hear your colleagues or yourself, saying "it's tough out there" - challenge yourselves to think differently.

Onwards and upwards!

Mark Windust is an influential Thought Leader in the areas of Sales Strategy, Sales Leadership and Sales Performance. Since launching his consulting practice in 2007, Mark has worked with 1000's of business leaders, salespeople and entrepreneurs’ to help them transform their sales results.