Batters miss pitches. Receivers miss catches. Tall basketball guys miss free-throws. Singers fail to make the cut. Talented people don’t get hired. The best proposal does not always win. Sales professionals miss deals. And you, too, will miss whatever it is you do from time to time.
From yoga practitioners to the ski slope heroes, from the classroom to the boardroom, people have, do, and will continue to fall short on occasion. And when they do, the rank and file will dig into their excuse ditty-bag and begin boring us all to tears with their “reasons why.”
I am reminded of a great lesson I learned from the Italian Olympic skier Alberto Tomba quite a few years ago. He was a lock for the gold in the Men’s Downhill when he left the gate. Within 14 milliseconds his left ski dug an edge and he shot straight into the snow fence. Out of the race, he skied down to be interviewed by an ABC Wide World of Sports TV commentator. “Alberto, you were a lock for gold, what happened?”
Alberto looked straight into the camera and replied, “I fell.” He then skied away probably to order himself a cold one at the nearest ski chalet. I will always remember that response. No excuses. No apologies. Just the facts.
The great ones pick themselves up. Dust themselves off. And start all over again.
Mike Marchev is the author of the sales book titled Become The Exception and is a popular speaker at industry events. You can receive a complimentary copy of his Special Report titled “Your 12-Word Marketing Plan.” Email Mike and put the number “12” in the subject box. Also, ask about his 3rd Annual Training Cruise coming in November. Mike@MikeMarchev.com.
