I was just talking to a prospective agent partner and he asked me about a top seller he had been listening to. He said he was having problems even coming close to duplicating the results of the top seller.
I told him, “Duplication of someone else’s success requires that you separate the personality from the process. Once you have the process, duplicate that and use it to create the best version of yourself.” I literally could see a giant lightbulb turn on above his head because it turned on above mine too. That was the first time those words ever came out of my mouth, so it was just as much of an epiphany for me as it was for him.
As a marketer, I love nothing more than to parade success stories in front of our agent partners or prospective partnerships. “Hey, look at this guy or gal, they used our program, and look what happened!” The truth is that many times that is what people want to see. We want to see that someone else achieved what we are trying to achieve. It gives us hope but it can also be very discouraging when we try to “copy” someone and things don’t work out. I think this discouragement typically comes from trying to be someone else instead of doing what they do.
I was listening to a Warren Buffet video yesterday where he told an Ivy league graduate class, “If you have an IQ of 160, find a way to sell 30 points of that. You won’t need it.” He then went on to say that investing is about rules, discipline, and temperament, not about intelligence or something unique to any individual. In other words, he was saying that what he does is duplicatable if you have the same proven process, follow that process, and have the temperament to be patient with the process.
Some of you annuity wizards have personalities that I would literally write a million-dollar check for, but the reality is I couldn’t buy your personality if you gave it to me for free. I think a lot of us feel that way. I wish I was just as charismatic as some of you. People are always telling me I should smile in my pictures which makes me want to smile even less. I am terrible at starting a conversation from scratch, especially with someone that I can’t find common ground. Sometimes, I just don’t even want to be around people and the last thing I want to do is sell someone on something they don’t want to buy.
Can you relate?
What is a personality dud like me supposed to do?
In my early 20’s I went to a conference with a bunch of successful people presenting. One of the presenters talked about how important it is to be enthusiastic. After he spoke, I approached him in the lobby and told him I am not an enthusiastic person and I feel helpless trying to duplicate what he talked about. He told me something I have never forgotten, “Talk louder and faster, it’s the same thing as enthusiasm”. That is when I first learned that I didn’t have to have a personality of “being enthusiastic”, but I could have a process of “being enthusiastic”. I learned that I could duplicate a process instead of a personality. That process, over time, has become part of my habitual personality. For the most part, I talk louder and faster anytime I am in a sales environment. It is not in my nature, but it has become a habit.
The next time you find an example of success, put aside the personality and take note of what they do. What daily habits do they have that you can duplicate? What is the step-by-step process they use with a client? What activity do they do on a daily basis to turn the process into a habit?
The best thing about focusing on the process is you can start duplicating it today while duplicating a personality could take a lifetime. When you duplicate the process, you will find your personality. Success will breathe confidence and confidence will turn you into the best version of yourself. Just remember to stay humble in the process!
Ready to get started on the process? Learn more here.
Written by tonyannuityagentsalliance-com
