I’m not sure about you, but for me, quotes have a way of staying in my head and replaying over and over again.
Steve Prefontaine once said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” It’s been on my mind ever since my sixth grade cross country coach quoted it at practice. And its motivational power didn't get left on the track -- it still helps push me to go the extra distance today.
It's Friday, and after today, there are four selling days left in the month. Time to start sprinting towards the finish line. And just in case you're like me, I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes to give you that extra shot of motivation.
Here are 15 motivational quotes to get your blood pumping, the speakers of which are all speaking at INBOUND 2016. (If you're interested, you can take a look at the full speaker lineup here.)
1) "I got lucky because I never gave up the search. Are you quitting too soon? Or are you willing to pursue luck with a vengeance?" - Jill Konrath, author of Agile Selling
2) "Lean in, speak out, have a voice in your organization, and never use the word 'sorry.'" - Trish Bertuzzi, author of The Sales Development Playbook
3) "Being on par in terms of price and quality only gets you into the game. Service wins the game." - Tony Alessandra, founder and CVO of Assessments 24x7
4) "People only buy when they feel safe. Salespeople need to help prospects feel safe by coaching them, advising them, and counseling them through their buyer's journey. You're not interrupting or convincing, but educating instead." - Mike Lieberman, CEO of Square 2 Marketing and co-author of The Inbound Sales Effect
5) "A rep who uses pauses and silence to their advantage comes across as far more confident than their overly chatty peers. If you’re confident in your product, there’s no need to go overboard." - Jeff Hoffman, founder of the "Why You? Why You Now™?" and "Your SalesMBA™" sales programs
6) "Be an example. Are you prompt? Are you professional? Are you engaged? As sales leaders, we have to set the bar high for ourselves as well as our teams." - Lori Richardson, CEO and founder of Score More Sales
7) "LinkedIn is a tool that allows you to promote yourself, your business, and your products and services. Don’t be shy. Tell your audience why they should work for, buy from, or hire you." - Viveka von Rosen, founder of Linked Into Business
8) "Salespeople who commit to being helpful -- always looking for needs and providing the right solutions -- will not just succeed but will thrive in this new environment. Successful salespeople realize that it is not about 'why' their product or service is great, but rather 'how' their products or services can be used to solve their clients’ problems." - Matt Sunshine, managing partner at The Center for Sales Strategy and LeadG2
9) "It’s time to go where your buyers live: online. If you pride yourself on being where your buyers are, why aren’t you online yet?" - Jamie Shanks, CEO of Sales for Life
10) "The best sales leaders recognize that salespeople need to be incentivized to not only close deals, but create customer advocates. Why? Because a salesperson will never be as trusted as another customer will be." - Emmanuelle Skala, VP Sales, Influitive
11) "Sales leaders who learn to say 'no' to the time-sucking corporate meetings and picking up the fire hose to fight their company’s every fire will be handsomely rewarded for their intentionality." - Mike Weinberg, author of Sales Management, Simplified
12) "The biggest mistake is thinking there must be a winner and a loser in every negotiation. To improve your results and the durability of any agreement, understand the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) for all parties involved." - Linda Swindling, CEO of Journey On
13) "An Olympian does not obsess over winning a gold medal; they focus on doing the things they need to do to win the gold medal. If they execute according to their plan the result will be gold." - Steve McKenzie, head of sales at InsightSquared
14) "Teaching is the new selling.” - Jim Keenan, CEO and President at A Sales Guy
15) "One of the main reasons a growth mindset drives high achievement is because it alters how the brain perceives failure. Those with different mindsets are more prone to see failure as a judgment on themselves." - David Hoffeld, CEO and chief sales trainer at Hoffeld Group
Want more? Each sales expert on this list will take the stage at INBOUND 2016. This year, the massive industry event will have its very own sales track. Purchase your ticket today with promo code FIRST100, which gets you $200 off a general All Access Pass and $100 off a partner or customer All Access Pass.
