PAY IT FORWARD

I am a member of an accountability workshop. This is a group that I meet with every week to discuss what I did the previous week and what I am going to do the upcoming week. The idea of the group is we keep each other accountable for doing what we say we are going to do.

This is a great group because not only do we exchange ideas and network with one another, we also give each other any kind of help we need. If you have a presentation that is due and want to practice it in front of someone you can ask the group and get the audience you are looking for. If you are just overwhelmed and need some help getting organized we are there for each other and most important if we are down and need a pick me up from someone we trust, this is the best place to get it.

Over the past several months the meetings have started to become a little less structured than they used to be. The leader of the group sent out an e mail today restating the rules and making it perfectly clear that this is a group from which you can me asked to leave if you are not willing to follow the rules.

While I was reading the e mail, my thoughts went to a sales rep and how so many times I see reps travel down the same path as the group has gone. They start with all the right habits and structure but over time start to lose the organization and allow their days to get looser and looser until they have lost sight of what is the right way.

Unfortunately so many times when this happens a sales manager needs to get involved and it isn’t usually a friendly or non threatening conversation. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be awesome if reps had the same type of accountability group as I had? I then thought why can’t they?

I suggest that everyone reading this post contact other sales reps in their area and start a JAWS group. (Job Accountability Work Shop). The reps don’t all need to work for the same company, as a matter of fact if you could find reps that work in similar industries but are not in competition with you are one another that would be best for the networking portion.

I know a lot of you belong to lead generating groups, but this is very different. Think of this as more of a support group. A group that have all gone through or are going through the same set of circumstances that have come together for the sole purpose of helping one another.

The key saying in my group as well as all JAWS groups is, How can I help YOU! We believe in paying it forward and know if we help others we will get the help we need when we need it.

If I can answer any questions about how to start a JAWS group please contact me, I will be more than happy to help you.

Lorin