After completing a triathlon last month I got a bug for biking and it has become my favorite sport. I get jacked up by pumping hard up a mountain and feeling the rush of exhilaration speeding downward with the feel of the wind on my face. This is a very different feeling than I get from running. On a run, I never feel any sense of danger like I do when I am cruising down a curvy mountain with blind turns.

During the triathlon I used same the bike I have had for the past 7 years (which I purchased back when I weighed 300 pounds). I have gotten a lot of use out of my comfort style bike which is a hybrid between a mountain bike and a road bike and it suited me well when I was obese. The heavy duty bike with wide knobby tires was easy to balance and comfortable to ride.  

However, I realized quickly, when training with my peers for the biking portion of the triathlon, that my bike requires much more energy to get up mountains than the sleek and slender road bikes do.  But since I enter these events as only a challenge for myself I was not concerned about having a bike that slows me down.

After the race results were posted my friend Laura who had completed the race with me said “You did great in your race, but you really should get a road bike. You could shave off quite a bit of time.” Since then several others have mentioned how much easier a road bike is for racing, especially up the hills. At first I was opposed to the idea as I really am comfortable on my bike and unsure of those skinny little tires on a road bike and how it might feel to ride one. On the other hand my time in the bike event was excellent for having the wrong equipment to complete the race and I started thinking that I might be an actual contender if I changed upgraded equipment.  

It occurred to me this is very much like sales. We work very hard making call after call and presentation after presentation. We make sales and do ok - making good commissions and getting by. We are comfortable with where we are – no need to change. But what would happen if we upgraded our sales “equipment?” What would happen if we developed new skills and added new tools? Perhaps we would be faster, stronger, and win more deals. Perhaps we would find more time to spend with our families while at the same time generating more income.

The fact is, if we don’t upgrade our skills, nothing will change. To be a true competitor you need to take the time to learn new techniques. Take time to go to seminars, listen to Podcasts and audio programs, read a book, and subscribe to sales eZines. Embrace change. Get out of your comfort zone. Upgrade your sales equipment. 

I am getting a new bike and I plan to ride 100 miles this weekend.  I have also spoken with my manager and asked for some Negotiation Training to improve and sharpen my sales skills. What are you doing with your equipment so you can be in the game? Why settle for being a participant when instead you can be true contender?