"How you start each morning sets your mindset, and the context, for the rest of your day."
Are you a morning person or a night owl? Which is better? While I don’t believe there is a clear cut answer to this debate, the data suggests that a high percentage of ultra-successful people are early risers.
Hal Elrod is back with The Miracle Morning for Salespeople, co-authored by Ryan Snow, a second installment in his bestselling Miracle Morning series.
Told through various stories and examples from Hal and Ryan’s sales careers, this book will not only help you become more productive in the morning (and before most people even wake up) but it will serve as a great introduction or reminder to some great foundational principles that will help anyone is sales raise their game.
We’re all looking for a competitive advantage out there and winning the morning can certainly help you accomplish just that!
The Big Idea
The Life S.A.V.E.R.S for Sales People
"Everything is difficult before it’s easy. Every new experience is uncomfortable before it’s comfortable."
The The Big Idea for this book is what the author calls “Life S.A.V.E.R.S.”, which are the daily practices that the Miracle Morning is comprised of. “They’re designed to start your day in a peak physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state so that you are both constantly improving and will ALWAYS perform at your best.” Think of the “Life S.A.V.E.R.S.” as the vehicle to help you work smarter and more efficiently each day. “Each letter in S.A.V.E.R.S. represents one of the best practices of the most successful people on the planet.” They are…
- Silence
- Affirmations
- Visualization
- Exercise
- Reading
- Scribing
This sounds like a big time commitment, so I was surprised when the authors stated that most of these can be done in 5-10 minutes. This has proven to be a great framework to follow to start my day on the right foot!
Insight #1
Self-Leadership
"You must remember, although where you are is a result of who you were, where you go depends entirely on who you choose to be from this moment forward."
This topic of self-leadership hit home for me because it’s hard to do BUT it’s something that we have 100% control over. In the book, Hal and Ryan explore their five core principles of self-leadership, which are:
- Take 100 Percent Responsibility
- Become Financially Free
- Put Fitness First
- Systemize Your World
- Commit to Your Process
The two that were most impactful for me are:
Take 100 Percent Responsibility: “…here’s the hard truth: If you’re not achieving the life you want right now, it’s all on you.” That may seem harsh and it kind of is. As I really reflected on that quote, it really made me feel empowered and in control. If I’m able to adopt that mindset in the various areas of my life, look out!
Commit to Your Process: “…commit to your process (without being emotionally attached to your results).” This one is tough, especially in today’s world. We expect quick results and instant gratification.
Having the ability to lead yourself is the first step in being able to lead a team or an organization. These are two great takeaways to start with.
Insight #2
The Miracle Equation: Unwavering Faith + Extraordinary Effort = Miracles
"The purpose of a goal isn’t to hit the goal. The real purpose is to develop yourself into the type of person who can achieve your goals, regardless of whether you hit that particular one or not. It is who you become by giving it everything you have until the last moment – regardless of your results – that matters most."
Having a strong, committed belief in what you are doing can yield powerful results. Throughout the book, the authors talk quite a bit about committing to your process (whatever that may be) and having full faith that you will get the results that you are seeking if you stick to it.
Hal and Ryan use the following mantra whenever they have a goal that they are striving to accomplish: “I will_____ (reach my goal, finish this project, etc.), no matter what. There is no other option.”
The two components of this are “unwavering faith”, which is committing to your process regardless of your results for a period of time, and giving “extraordinary effort” during this period of time. This will produce the Miracle Equation: Unwavering Faith + Extraordinary Effort = Miracles.
Give it a try!
The Miracle Morning for Salespeople is an easy, informative and thought provoking read. It’s a great reminder that you have to take care of your body and your mind if you are to be successful in sales or in anything that you do. It is full of easy tips to become more effective in the morning and become a better sales professional all around. No matter what our job is, we’re all looking for that small edge that will propel us to be successful. Your edge might stem from the effort you put in during your mornings!
