What a 19th Century Opera Composer Teaches Modern Day Salespeople
Most people are familiar with the old saying, "Easy come. Easy go." In the sales world we often observe that sales people who experience success quickly falsely assume that the sales profession is going to be easy. After a month or two, however, those fortunate few often reach a different conclusion. Without much sweat equity invested, they head off and look for the next rainbow. If only we could teach a new saying, "Easy come. Forget That." We may not have that saying, but we can look at a 19th Century opera composer who expressed it and set the example we may well want to copy.
After experiencing a degree of success with his very first opera, a young and unknown composer, Giuseppe Verdi, hit the big leagues by receiving a contract to compose two more operas for the most famous opera house in Italy. Talk about a winning sales presentation! One could certainly say that his success came quite easily.
Verdi's next opera was to be an Opera buffa, a form of comedic opera, but the life events that preceded the opening night of that opera were anything but comical. In August 1838 Verdi's 16-month old daughter died suddenly. Just 14 months later, his 18-month old son died of bronchial pneumonia. Only eight months after the death of his son, Verdi's wife died after an illness of just five days. Within 22 months, Verdi's entire family was wiped out. Imagine trying to write a comedy while the family members around you are dying one after another.
Not surprisingly, Verdi's second opera was a complete flop. Easy come, easy go? Not on your life. Verdi's first success might have come easy, but the bad reviews he received from his second opera hardly sent him away crying. Instead he dug in his heels and decided never to pine for the approval of his critics. From that disaster he developed an intense emotional independence. Now there's something all sales professionals can use -- emotional independence.
In the sales business, it's easy to see our prospects and even our loved ones as the critics that hold our fortune in their hands. If our prospects tell us, "No," or if our loved ones tell us, "You will never be a successful entrepreneur," we think the die is cast. Time to let the 19th century composer, Giuseppe Verdi, teach you one of the great secrets of successful entrepreneurs... buck up, spit in the eyes of your critics (figuratively speaking, please!), and decide once and for all that the only opinion that matters is your own.
Verdi cared little about what the critics said and he learned to face failure and success with equanimity. One of his famous letters in its entirety simply said, "La Traviatta last night... a fiasco. Was it my fault or the singers? Only time will tell." Just in case you didn't know, time told all right. Verdi is considered by many to be the greatest of all the Italian opera composers.
Regardless of whether or not your sales business has come easy for you, decide right now to face failure and success with equanimity, that is, with poise, with imperturbability, with (dare I say it?) confidence. Let failure be your instructor. Be willing to learn what you need to learn from each failure and then take three more giant steps forward.
It's not the approval of the critics that you need to succeed -- it's the approval of one infinitely more precious. It's the approval of someone who's been with you for every moment of every day of your entire life. End each day by giving yourself the critique you long for. It goes something like this, "You did the best job you knew how to do today. Well done!"
| Author, Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker, Tammy Stanley founded and directs The Sales Refinery, a sales training firm that assists independent sales professionals generate more business through powerful marketing, selling and leadership strategies. |
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