The Sales Magic You’re Looking For 

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In sales, entrepreneurship, and life, there’s a dangerous trap that is too easy to fall into: The idea that success comes from discovering some hidden hack, shortcut, or magic formula that is eluding us. We imagine that top performers know something we don’t,  and that they’ve figured out the magic. 

But here’s the truth: what appears to be a “magic” path to success we witness in others is an illusion. The answer to attaining your desired success is right before you.  

You’re just choosing to ignore it. As I heard it described recently:

“The magic you seek lies on the other side of the hard work you’re avoiding.” 

So instead of chasing the next bright and shiny trend, be honest with yourself about what you’re avoiding.  Maybe it’s a follow-up call you want to make but keep postponing, the suspect whose name keeps showing up in your CRM, or that hour of cold calling you can “never find time for.” 

As in a magic show, this is the hard work your “audience” doesn’t see. It’s what creates an illusion that others can’t explain.

Discomfort is a compass 

The work that makes you uncomfortable is often the key to your desired success. If something is easy and comfortable and everyone is doing it, it’s not the key to your success. The ROI on that kind of work is usually modest at best. Worst of all, we allow this easy stuff to take up more space and time than is really necessary, aiding in the avoidance of the uncomfortable activities. 

Those activities that make you uncomfortable, push you to new boundaries, task you emotionally, or require you to be vulnerable are the ones that create movement and success. These activities separate you from your weaker competition because weak competitors aren’t willing to be or do any of those things.   

Top performers in anything (especially sales) don’t wait for motivation to strike or stay in the shallow end where it’s safe. They jump into the deep end of tough conversations, uncertain outcomes, and awkward follow-ups. Why do they do this? Not because they love discomfort, but because they dislike falling short of their potential. For high performers, discomfort is like a compass pointing toward what needs to be done. 

You’re not missing a secret, you’re avoiding a conversation  

We all hit plateaus. However, there’s a big difference between hitting one that is a speed bump and one that is a wall. And it’s tempting to think you’re missing out on some secret answer when you hit them. But rather than missing some information, it’s more likely you’re avoiding a needed action that intimidates you. 

In sales, breaking through plateaus and brick walls often comes from making one more call, asking one bold question, or revisiting one deal you thought had died on the vine. Success is rarely purely dependent on genius; it results from being bold and taking uncomfortable actions when others won’t. It’s one of those “rinse and repeat” habits that will never fail you over your career.  

The “one more” hack, “one more” resource, or “one more” bright and shiny is a distraction. You need more resolve to do the work you know you need to do.

Lean into resistance 

Of course, resistance is inevitable and natural. Even the highest of achievers experience it; the difference is how they respond. While average performers rationalize that there are more urgent tasks that need their attention, top performers know that the discomfort of what needs to be done is a clear indication of its need to be a top priority. They build habits of action that keep them moving forward, especially when things get uncomfortable. 

It's important to get the fear out of your head and make it a tangible beast you can tackle. List the top five things you’re avoiding, and attack the list one barrier at a time. 

1. Do the follow-up. 
2. Make the call. 
3. Request the introduction. 
4. Ask the uncomfortable question. 
5. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. 
   

The real illusion of “magic”  

There is no real magic. There’s only the illusion of it. What looks like magic from the outside: The deal that suddenly closes, the abundant pipeline, or the win that shouldn’t have been is usually the result of someone consistently doing the mundane, taxing, and often-avoided work over time. 

Make the calls no one else will, nurture relationships others let go cold, ask uncomfortable questions, take more swings, and commit to the hard things while others look for shortcuts.  

As Thomas Edison wisely observed,

“Opportunity is often missed because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like hard work.” 

If you’re waiting for opportunity to knock, look again. It’s hiding on the other side of the wall of work you’re avoiding. Knock that wall down and drag opportunity’s ass back home where it belongs.