Smart Thinking: Perfection, paralysis and procrastination: the 3 Ps to avoid

Setting goals is a waste of time. Developing action plans is a waste of time. Formulating implementation strategies is a waste of time. Writing affirmations to support goal achievement is a waste of time.

It’s all a waste of time, if you don’t act.

Some people plan and plan and plan but fail to act. Others fail to plan but take action and succeed in spite of their somewhat chaotic behavior. Even though their actions might not be the most efficient, at least they are doing something. And action, even without planning, trumps even the most meticulous planning that’s not followed through with action. So, don’t waste your time on planning unless you are committed to taking action.

You might have studied, calculated, identified, researched and graphed. You’ve scripted, practiced, fine-tuned and rehearsed. You’re prepared.

If you’re so prepared, why aren’t you doing anything?

Maybe you’re trying too hard. It’s admirable that you want your approach to be perfect when you put your plan in motion. But it just doesn’t work that way. Perfection comes from doing, not planning. Your quest for perfection will prevent you from moving forward. Besides, who said you had to be perfect?  For now, you just have to be good enough. Perfection will come later.

Striving for perfection leads to paralysis, which, in turn, leads to procrastination. The more you try to refine your prospecting call or presentation, for instance, the more things you’ll find to add, change or delete. The more you tinker with it, the less likely you are to ever be finished. After all, it can always be better.

Strive for progress, not perfection. At some point, the preparation must stop, and you must do something. Make the calls, deliver your presentation. Whatever it is, do it. Then, you can evaluate the results and fine-tune if necessary.

Keep in mind that a high level of success in selling is typically not the result of a major breakthrough. Most often, it is the result of several minor improvements made over time:  an extra step, a small change, a slightly different approach.

To discover small steps you can make, answer the following questions:

• If you could do one thing to expand your customer base, what would you do?
• If you could do one thing to expand the number of products or services your customers buy from you, what would you do?
• If you could do one thing to improve the relationship with your customers, what would you do?
• If you could do one thing to make better use of your time and energy, what would you do?
• If you could do one thing to improve your ability to respond to the needs of your customers, what would you do?
• If you could do one thing to leverage your business relationships to identify new selling opportunities, what would you do?

If you answer the questions, you will have a list of things you can do to reach a greater level of success. Choose one action and begin today. When you’ve completed the activity, choose another. Then, when you’ve completed the list, repeat the process. Continuous improvements over time will add up to major breakthroughs. That’s the definition of progress. And if there is such a thing as perfection, constant progress will get you as close to it as humanly possible. v

^© 2009  Sandler Systems, Inc. Sandler Training is the global leader in sales & management training and consulting. Catherine Atkins is your exclusive authorized franchisee of Sandler Training. Visit her Web site at www.savant.sandler.com or e-mail at [email protected].