www.sdchamber.org

Membership Update

By Doug Holman, Vice President of Membership

Hard to believe, but summertime is right around the corner. It has always struck me as ironic that as the days get longer our production tends to decrease. Of course I get it, great weather, tons of things to do in San Diego, kids are out of school, vacations and so much more all account for a falling-off of activity.

Ever wonder why some professionals never have a down period? Skeptics say they are lucky. I tend to believe what Lucille Ball said, “Luck, I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it, and I don’t trust people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”  

I’ve spent a career managing salespeople and helping them avoid major swings in production. Following are some time-tested strategies that work:

1) No excuses – this is simple but important. When production is slow it is easy to imagine reasons why it is happening to you. The more you think and talk about excuses the more real they become.

2) Stay active– by concentrating on the essentials. Therefore, networking, prospecting and presenting must come first.

3) Plan each day and week – be more diligent than ever about working your plan. Much of your competition will lose their focus and this is great for you.

4) Be realistic – because it will be more difficult to reach your prospects. Once again, people will be distracted by great weather, kids out of school and vacations. So accept the fact that your daily activity will need to increase in order for you to reach the number of people you need.

5) Filling the pipeline – is essential for long-term success. By focusing your energies on points 1-4 you will be setting yourself up to finish the year strong. Slumps are the product of excuses, non-activity and poor planning.

Your Chamber does not go on vacation. We will continue to host great events throughout June, July and August. Do yourself a favor and plan accordingly by getting as many events as possible onto your calendar. By attending you will be following Lucille Ball’s great advice by finding opportunities and capitalizing on hard work. The efforts you maintain during the summer will net great results for the remainder of the year.

As always I look forward to seeing you at our many events this summer.