In my fifteen years of leading sales people I rejoiced with my new hires when they had a great first year. But, experience also taught me that early success could be the worst thing for some people.

Success in sales or in any aspect of business is often determined by a person’s response to failure. Those people who experience early failure and adapt, often turn out to have the best careers.

Keep Your Head Up!

The Good Thing About A Bad Start

Don’t get me wrong, I never wished a bad start on anyone I hired. But there are a lot of lessons that can be learned during a bad start.

• What does not work?
• What else do I need to learn?
• Who is doing this job better than I am?
• What can I learn from them?
• What will I do to not be in this position again?
• What am I learning?
• How is this struggle preparing me for the future?

The learning mode that high potential people enter into when they encounter early struggles often sets them on a path to long-term success. They develop a habit of trying new things and always looking for a better way.

The attitudes that are developed during early struggles often sew the seeds of growth, leadership and excellence in the future.

The Danger of Early Success

Too often, I have seen young hot shots enter a new role and thrive early, only to fade when things get tough. They thrive early based on the talent and potential the interviewer saw during the hiring process.

But, they often have other contributing factors that lead to that success. Sometimes it is the luck of timing.

• A new product get’s accepted quickly by their customers.
• They are following a low performing person so they look great in comparison.
• They have a team around them that mentors and assists them extensively during their rookie campaign.

At the end of that first year their early success can give them a false sense of security.

• Look how fast I learned. I know this job.
• If I do what I did last year, I will always be successful.

The trouble can come after that first year when timing is no longer an issue. Now when challenges and circumstances pile up against them, they are not prepared to persevere.

Some may not see the need for continuous growth. Because of their early success, they believe that the answer is to do what they did when they were successful and success will come again.

Some may encounter failure and get frustrated and give up. In the back of their minds, they think it should be as easy as last year. When it is not, they become disengaged.

If either of these happen, their early success may not carry them far into the future.

The Bottom Line:

If you are in the midst of a bad start, or if you are coaching someone who is, have faith! How you respond to this hard time may set you up to surpass the people around you who are having early success.

The first year in a job is hugely important. Whether we have early success or we struggle, our reaction to both situations is crucial to where we may end up.

A bad year could be my biggest blessing! Embrace the troubles and grow. We all may look back at that year as the most important one in our career.

After all, most of us can look back on our life and realize the times we experienced the most adversity are the times we also experienced the greatest growth. Rarely do we grow when things are easy.

Question:

How can you embrace the struggles you are in? How can you help others who are struggling?