.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} More and more I see salespeople unwilling to work hard. For whatever reason, they refuse to do the hard work now that will make success easier later. They claim every excuse in the world:

• They don’t pay me enough.

• I’m not paid to do that.

• It’s not my job.

• It’s not worth my time.

• I need more balance in my life.

Or some other self-defeating set of words.

In 1939, Napoleon Hill wrote many of his success principles in one immortal book, “Think and Grow Rich.” One of the principles is, “Do more than is expected of you.”

Amazing how old truths are still so valid.

Before Hill, around the turn of the last century (1900), Elbert Hubbard wrote an essay called “Message to Garcia.” It’s about a military officer named Rowan who was given an important message and told to deliver it to a guy named Garcia. Rowan – without a moment of hesitation, without a “where” or “why” question – started on the mission and ultimately delivered the message.

In his essay, Hubbard went on to chastise people for not delivering their message and challenged each reader to take on the same blind “do it or perish” status.

I first read it in 1972. It made an immediate and profound impact on my thinking and my work ethic. I am writing this article at 2 o’clock in the morning because of the mission. I’m delivering a “Message to Salespeople.” And I have done it every week since 1992. More than 800 missions accomplished.

Today’s work force places more weight on knowledge and experience as valuable qualities in an employee rather than hard work, common courtesy and the ability to multitask and handle things on your own. Big mistake.

Experience and knowledge are learned, accumulated over time, and may not be recognized until people have put in many years in their career field. A strong, solid work ethic and the burning desire to succeed come from within. And they are noticed immediately.

The Rowans of this world obtain the drive in their minds and in their hearts to achieve personal excellence, satisfaction and success through hard work, and they are ready and willing to put forth the effort at all times.

Are you one of them? Are you the person someone else can COUNT on to get the message delivered or the job done?

You may think you are – but solicit the voices of others as you go to make your impact on the world.

Here are three things to do, and one thing NOT to do, when you are given ANY message to deliver:

1. Figure out the BEST way to deliver it and make a plan to succeed.

2. List any barriers that may appear. Barriers that would prevent you from delivering the message.

3. Start out. You can never get anywhere until you take the first action step.

3.5. Don’t put mental or verbal barriers in your way to justify why you can’t do it.

Here are two mission statements that will actually HELP you understand, focus on and achieve YOUR mission.

• A personal mission statement. One that says who you are, what your philosophy of life and service is and who you seek to consistently be to yourself and others.

• A sales mission statement. Here’s an example you can use: Create an atmosphere in which the customers buy, and be so memorable that they buy again and tell other people how great you are. That’s a mission that will actually help you make a sale.

What’s your mission? And how hard are you willing to work to achieve it?

If you would like a PDF copy of Elbert Hubbard’s “Message to Garcia,” go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time user, and enter the word GARCIA in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2007 Jeffrey H. Gitomer