Julio Melara, introduced at the beginning of this chapter, has achieved success in several different sales and marketing positions in the fields of radio broadcasting and publishing. Today, he is president and co-owner of the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report and is one of America’s top motivational speakers. He is convinced that success comes to those who have the right attitude and the will to win. Now that he has proved himself in several competitive fields, Melara is ready to share the beliefs and success principles that made a difference in his own career. His success formula is made up of five elements.

1. You have to believe you can achieve your dreams and desires. He likes to quote a verse from the book of Proverbs that says, “As a man thinketh, so he is.” Put another way, “If you believe, you will achieve.” Salespeople tend to behave in a way that supports their own ideas of how successful or unsuccessful they will be. Those who have serious doubts about their capabilities tend to reduce their efforts or give up altogether when faced with major challenges.

2. Put all your goals in writing. A written goal, reviewed daily, is much more likely to be achieved. Melara says that a written goal keeps the vision in front of you. Many salespeople avoid setting goals because they do not understand the importance of this self-improvement method. As we make and keep commitments to ourselves, we begin to establish a greater sense of self-confidence and self-control. For many salespeople, goals become an integral part of their plan to break old habits or form new ones.

3. Get all the education and information that you can. Melara is fond of saying, “You’ll never earn more unless you learn more.” In recent years, most salespeople have had to develop expertise in the area of customer relationship management. Knowledge of the customer’s business is not an option if you want to build a strong partnership. Developing expertise in appropriate areas can result in increased self-confidence.

4. Commit to excellence in everything that you do. There is an interconnection among the many areas of work and family. Melara believes that salespeople must fulfill both work and family responsibilities. Many sales and marketing organizations have found that family problems are linked to employee problems such as tardiness, absenteeism, and low productivity. Of course, problems at work often have a negative influence on one’s personal life.

5. Protect your enthusiasm. Melara says, “Watch the friends you hang out with, the people you associate with, and the television programs you watch.” Enthusiasm for work and work-related activities is often fragile. The negative views of a coworker or a friend can erode our enthusiasm. One of the best defenses against loss of enthusiasm is to maintain positive expectations about the future.

Questions

1 Which of these elements can make the most important contribution to a career in personal selling? Explain.

2 Reflect on your own approach to accomplishing tasks and select two of Melara’s elements you would find easy to adopt. Then select two elements that you would find difficult to adopt. Explain your choices.

3 How might goal setting be used in conjunction with time management?

4 How might a commitment to excellence improve the processes of territory management and records management?

5 Do you agree or disagree that the people you associate with can influence your motivation?