Sell The Vision

If you’re a smart, driven person, you have thoughts and ideas about what you want your life to be. What you’d like to be doing, who you’d like to influence, what your purpose is. If you have these thoughts, you have a vision. It’s hard to put into words, because it’s complex, and it’s in your mind. but you’d better figure out how. Because if it’s a vision worth pursuing, you’ll have to sell it, a lot, to more people than you think, including yourself.

I think back to my days at the University of Nebraska and I remember thinking to myself how much I didn’t want to be in “sales.” That nasty word that means cold calling, talking to strangers, building relationships with people based on business, facing rejection, meeting sales goals, and all of that scary stuff…

So I got my degree in Business Marketing with an Economics Minor… And I found out that every job under the sun is SALES. If you’re not selling a product, you’re selling a service. And if you’re not selling either one of those, you’re selling yourself! Everyday is a sell job. Another opportunity to prove your worth to the world - to your boss, your clients, your coworkers, people at other firms and businesses, your spouse, your kids, your parents, your friends…. I could go on…

I have a vision.

The space is dim but at the same time has beams of natural light coming in through big windows on either side. There are over 40 people and bass from the music fills the chest of everyone present. There is a mutual feeling that something exciting is about to happen. I walk from the back of the room to the front quietly greeting people in my path. My emergence at the front demands the attention of the room. This is the moment I enjoy. The anticipation that builds as my eyes pan the room with a slight smirk that tells people that I know I’m the show. And then, when there is nothing else to savor from the moment…, “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! TIME TO WORK OUT!!! Mountain Climbers, GO!!!”

Actually, this is only a fraction of my vision, but it is one of the most tangible and powerful pieces. I want WillPower to be a place where people find strength. Where people come for their spirits to be lifted. A cornerstone on the community and a beacon of light in the vastness of the mundane. I want to do it all with my beautiful wife at my side. I want the world to be able to experience WillPower. I want to make $1,000,000 (or more…) by influencing the world in a positive way and doing what I love to do. I want to celebrate life with my family, my partners, my friends, and my community.

But for any of the aforementioned to happen, I need to sell what is in my head to people that can help me get there. Here has been the process so far:

Person #1: Myself. I have to make sure that I believe it can happen before I can sell it to someone else. OK… I believe.

Person #2: My wife, Abby. I know she is ready to boldly go through life with me wherever that may take us… but only if it makes sense! she was a tough sell, but I also have the most time to sell her. OK… She believes.

Person #3: Anyone that can help me put this plan together. Business professionals, consultants, financial professionals, marketing people, developers, agents, bankers, contractors, and countless other people that you will have to explain your vision to.

Person #4: The search for money. This sell job is the real deal. It’s the major leagues. This is finally where the stakes are high. The only chip on your side of the table is a small stack of papers with information more valuable than gold. And that’s what you have to convince someone that was nice enough to have coffee with you. You have to show how hard you’ve prepared, and how passionate you are without being so anxious that you come off as a 16 year-old who’s never been kissed. Then, if you do a good job, they’ll meet with you again to do it all over after they’ve ran their numbers. OK… They believe.

Person #5: Someone that will allow you pursue your vision (run the business) in their building.

After Person #5 is where the fun starts… Now it’s SHOWTIME. And now its time to sell yourself, your business, your program, your product, and your vision, to the world.

The truth is, I never stopped selling my vision to myself. It has been tough and at some crossroads, I felt doubt creep in. But thats when I had to go back to Person #1 and sell hm again.