Fresh starts and new beginnings are always possible. It merely takes a dream, desire, and drive. And perhaps a small dose of courage. Simple, right? Of course not. But stepping out of your comfort zone and into the realm of possibility might just yield the kind of rewards that can only come from finding your purpose. If this all sounds unrealistic or out of reach, consider John’s story:
The Backstory
For nearly 15 years, John worked as VP of Sales for his corporate employer. Throughout his tenure, John and his team consistently delivered on the promise of sales excellence. In fact, for 10 years in a row, John’s team produced year-over-year revenue growth of more than a million dollars. This kind of solid, predictable performance became the foundation for the company’s success and position as a market leader. Everything was going great until…
Everything Changes
Just when things seem safe and orderly and reliable, trouble can strike and shake the foundations of success. For John’s company – a food services provider to businesses in several large metropolitan areas across the U.S. – the culprit was COVID and the resulting economic downfall. When the pandemic struck, John’s company, like so many others, was blindsided as business virtually ground to a halt.
Several of their clients, including their largest customer, suddenly implemented work-from-home policies. With workers no longer congregating in office buildings, this wiped out much of the company’s business, causing sales to drop by almost 60%. Naturally, this new economic reality caused an operational upheaval and undercut the possibility of continuing the company’s long track record of growth.
Tough decisions had to be made and made quickly if the company were to survive. Budgets were cut and two-thirds of John’s team, along with most of the marketing team, were let go. Operating with a “skeleton crew,” John suddenly found himself doing a lot less leading and a lot more damage control. He was constantly putting out fires without the support his team needed to be effective.
The Decision
After decades in sales and with an enviable reputation as a sales leader, John, now in his 50s, found himself in uncharted and undesirable territory. Everything he had worked so hard for – all his successes, all the challenges he had overcome, all the wisdom and operational intellect he had acquired – suddenly seemed devalued. Faced with this new reality, John had a decision to make.
The decision began with some questions: Am I happy with what I am doing? Will I ever again feel respected and appreciated in this new corporate environment? Can I truly work with a sense of purpose if I don’t make a change?
For John, the answer to all of these questions was no! He couldn’t see himself being happy with the status quo. He couldn’t imagine feeling respected and appreciated in the new normal of the post-pandemic workplace. And he didn’t feel he could find a sense of purpose – and make a difference – unless he sought a better path.
The Better Path
John’s story is common to many other sales executives with years of senior leadership experience. They invested so much of their lives for their corporate employers only to find themselves feeling unchallenged, disrespected, and undervalued. Still, they know they have so much more to offer – especially to business owners who desperately need their expertise and guidance in the new economic landscape.
Ultimately, for John and so many other sales leaders, the better path they sought led to a career as a sales leadership consultant. So many of the prospective new licensed Sales Xceleration Advisors we speak with want a new beginning where they control their future. A future with flexibility to set their own hours and write their own paycheck. Simply put, another corporate “W2” job is not going to satisfy them anymore.
Could they buy a franchise in a new field? Sure, but ultimately, they discover that their years of sales leadership experience is the perfect foundation for success in the field they’ve already invested their lives in. So, like John, they take a closer look at sales leadership consulting. What they find is that small to mid-sized businesses are eager to pay well for their sales wisdom and guidance. In particular, owners of these businesses appreciate being able to engage sales leadership consultants on a fractional basis; that is, part-time and/or for a limited duration service engagement, to help them make the right moves.
Best of all, our licensed Advisors who use the proven tools, resources, and systems of Sales Xceleration have a 97% success rate! So, if you, like John, find yourself in a frustrating new reality and seek a fresh start, a new beginning where you can find your professional purpose and make a difference for others, we invite you to explore the Sales Xceleration opportunity as a fractional sales leadership consultant.
To learn more click here or contact us at 844.874.7253. Opportunities are available in all U.S. and many global markets. Your fresh start to a better future awaits!
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