When I first started working in the professional world, I was asked to do a number of tasks that, at the time, were difficult for me. Only later did I recognize the value.

The Vision Board

One leader had me make a vision board. Because this idea has gone out of fashion, I’ll share what a vision board is for you here. It’s a giant piece of poster board on which you glue pictures of the things that you want in your life. It might be a house, or a car, or a vacation. You placed your vision board right in front of you as a reminder of what you wanted in your life.

Most people don’t spend the time to decide what they want their life to look like, drifting on the currents as the world pushes them this way and that. The vision board deserves revisiting.

A Mirror and a Script

Very early in my career, I was required to make cold calls while looking at myself in a mirror that was provided for me. My company also provided me with a script. The mirror helped you understand the level of energy and enthusiasm you were bringing to the call. Your low energy sounded like a lack of interest on your part—and it showed in the mirror. Simply smiling when you make a call changes the energy of the call, improves how you are perceived, and increases the chances you gain the commitment for time, i.e. a meeting.

The script was tight, focused only on an appointment and a value proposition. It included the five objections you were certain to hear, and those objections never failed to appear during the call. Knowing how to deal with them provided a higher level of confidence.

Recording a Sales Call

One assignment I was required to complete was difficult and intimidating. I was required to find a prospect willing to record my sales call with them. As if it wasn’t difficult enough to get a meeting, I also had to sell the fact that I was going to record the interaction. I found a prospect who was willing to allow me to record my sales call, and the call seemed to go well—until I watched it back with my manager and my peers.

I was unfocused, off point, and trying way too hard to make something happen. Some of my poor performance was due to the camera, but the real cause was my lack of preparation and control. It would have taken me a lot longer to correct these things had I not had the pain of reliving the call in front of my peers.

These tools that were lost should be found.