Why energy is so important

Digging deeper into our series on what it takes to be a champion sales professional, we have to start at the top of the pyramid with an understanding of Energy. Over the next several weeks, we will be churningOn the Six Key Characteristics of Champion Sales People. I call it ELU squared or E-L-U to the power of two: Energy, Enthusiasm, Likable, Love, Unique, and Urgent.

Like everything in life, to be a champion, you must understand the difference in managing energy versus managing time. Time management is way over-rated. Energy management is very misunderstood. Each of the other characteristics of a champion sales person simply can not be accomplished without first learning to manage your energy. I believe the best body of work on this subject comes from Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, authors of The Power of Full Engagement and founders of The Human Performance Institute.

Without being an excellent manager of your energy (mental energy, emotional energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy) you will not be able to be enthusiastic, to be likable, to be lovable, to be unique, and to be urgent. Let's just leave it at that for today and go deeper into the butter maker tomorrow, when we discuss why 'oscillation' is the key to high performance.

Back at you

What's coming back:

Okay, I have put it out there. churnOn.com was launched on February 7th and the idea was really fairly simple. In summary, it went like this:

1. Something more than a resume.
2. A way to finish the re-write and self-publish my book, Releasing the Churn.
3. A home base around which to master the ecosystem of social networking tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, so as to be a more effective professional in the next phase of my career.

And here is what has come back at me:

1. The site needs a 'call to action'. It needs to be a little less about me, and more about what I have to offer the world. This is a work-in-progress, but coming along nicely.
2. Write to help others, make information as useful as possible, and be service oriented.

Of course, like all things in life, it is what you do with the information that comes back at you that matters most. And nothing comes back, if you don't first put some stuff out there!

How the 'Ten Rules of Baseball' relate to completion

If you start to slide, slide!:

When I first met Coach Paul Rogers, I was eight years old in the little town of Wakefield, VA. I played four years of Little League baseball for Coach Rogers and thanks to 'Coach' I left Wakefield better prepared to take on the world. I remember that he brought a mimeographed handout to the very first practice, titled 'The Ten Rules of Baseball'. I believe this to be the list, and number five stands out as one of the keys to understanding the third 'c' in my series The Four C's That Launched churnOn.com - 'complete'. Actually, almost all of these rules can be applied to getting stuff done.

1. Nobody ever becomes a ballplayer by walking after a ball.
2. You will never become a .300 hitter unless you take the bat off your shoulder.
3. If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.
4. Keep your head up and you may not have to keep it down.
5. When you start to slide, slide. He who changes his mind may have to change a good leg for a bad one.
6. Do not alibi on bad hops. Anybody can field the good ones.
7. Always run them out. You never can tell.
8. Never quit.
9. Do not find too much fault with the umpires. You cannot expect them to be as perfect as you are.
10. A pitcher who hasn't control hasn't anything.

Play ball!