Send It! 7 Actions to Increase Your Value in Today’s Marketplace

I first heard the term ‘Send It!’ from my wife’s youngest brother, Austin. In the moment (more on this later), I had no idea what it meant, but I knew it was not a term to describe ‘normal.’ For most people, average is enough – average mindset, average effort, and average success. The world is filled with AVERAGE. Then there are those who want more – those willing to do whatever it takes to excel and create abundance.  

Whether you are an entrepreneur, employee, or in search of your next job or career, your ability to bring value to the marketplace determines your level of success. Most people with ambition understand this, but few know where to start.

Apply these 7 actions to ‘Send It!’ and increase your value in today’s marketplace:

#1. KNOW Sales.

Whether we know it or not, we all engage in the process of selling every day. Nearly every decision made in life results from a sale — every day we either sell, or get sold, on an idea, plan, decision, product, service, or relationship. Either way, a transaction, or sale, takes place. The word sale is defined as, "the act of selling something." Whether we sell a product or service, earn a raise or career promotion, or seek agreement on any plan or idea, we are selling. No matter what title or position we hold in life, or what our role is in a company or on a team, we consistently engage in the practice of convincing others of something. Truth is, you must be able to sell to get what you want in life.

The more you get to KNOW sales, the more likely you are to be able to advance your position or make something happen at any moment. The ability to sell creates limitless opportunity to impact and generate revenue. Knowledge of the sales process, service, communication and relationship building, is critical to winning in every industry. Outside of my time in business and entrepreneurship, I served the U.S. Government as a Special Agent with the FBI. Every day called on my ability to negotiate, persuade, and understand how to get agreement and convince others to act. Even as a FBI Agent, my ability to sell impacted my success. Education, grades, and résumés will not guarantee a promotion or advancement in life, but your ability to sell and produce revenue will.

Commit to learning basic skills in prospecting, follow-up, negotiation and closing techniques. Sadly, these skills are not taught in school. Find a mentor to study and learn from. Mentorship does not require live coaching or training, but can come from books, blogs, recordings, and interviews. Find mentors with messaging and content consistent with your goals. Most importantly, make the commitment to KNOW sales.

#2. Get Close to Revenue.

Revenue is essential to EVERY business. The revenue line is the top line on financial statements and it impacts everyone in the company. Without new revenue, a business cannot grow. Businesses that do not grow, do not survive. The only way to control and influence the top line, is to create and influence revenue. You may have the best ideas, services or products – but if you cannot get them in front of people willing to give you money for them, you will not have a business for long. Your ability to positively affect revenue in a business directly correlates with your value in the marketplace.

Regardless of your position or role, look for opportunities to influence and generate revenue.

• Figure out how to introduce new clients and partners to the business.
• Find ways to improve the processes holding your company back from growth.
• Commit to serve every client and partner with an unbelievable experience and impression of you, and your company so that YOU become the first person they think of, and associate with the business.

Become your own business unit and own the space you operate in. Money follows attention and it is up to you to create attention and revenue for your business.

#3. Get Obsessed.

According to Gallup, approximately 51% of U.S. employees are not engaged at work and nearly 20% of all employees admit to being actively disengaged. Think about that … 1 of every 5 people employed, actively finds ways to avoid work, while at work. This is deadly, for the business and the individual. Sadly, only a small percentage of people are actually engaged in the work they do. Where do you fall? And why?

Gallup and most of the ‘experts’ associate disengagement and burnout with bad leadership and management, inadequate compensation, limitations of advancement, long hours, poor culture, wrongly assigned responsibilities, and the list goes on and on. The reality is, disengagement and burnout simply comes from lack of purpose. Purpose is defined as, "the reason for which something is done, or created, or for which something exists." With purpose comes obsession. Candles burn out, people lose purpose.

In his book, Be Obsessed or Be Average, Grant Cardone emphasizes the great opportunity that exists in today's marketplace for those who choose to get OBSESSED with their goals, passions, and purpose. Our purpose drives us to show up every day and take action. Purpose fuels our obessessions to push through failure and put in the effort and work the average person is not willing to do. Whether you're an entrepenuer, business owner, or an employee, your path to success and hapiness runs through your obsessions.

Average is the result of operating at 'just-enough' levels to get by, fit in, and avoid failures and negative experiences. Society teaches us to be normal. We are not taught to break out of obscurity and get attention. Obsession to succeed is often labeled or characterized as a defect rather than gift, commonly by those who have given up on their own dreams, and lost their purpose. Pay no attention to these people. Get obsessed and FREAK people out with your goals and passions. I want others to tell me to slow down, rest, or express concern that I am doing too much. That's when I know I am on the right track. I am most productive and most refreshed, when I am clear with my purpose and operating at high levels of productivity. Contrary to what most of us are taught, it's healthy to be obsessed about your purpose and the goals you seek to accomplish. 

Be prepared to cut out the distractions and negative influences that hold you back from your purpose. Associations don't push you in a specific direction; they nudge you over time through small, consistent actions and behaviors.  By eliminating distractions in your life and putting yourself in a position to meet positive, successful influencers obsessed with operating at high levels of productivity, you will become more productive, better skilled, and more willing to get outside of your comfort zone, where growth happens.

#4. Set Unreasonable Goals.

Most people fail to set goals. Those that do, set them too low or forget about them altogether. Mediocre success results from average planning and preparation. The great achievers think BIG, set MONSTER goals, and REFUSE to fear failure. Instead of lowering targets, increase action. To achieve bigger goals, you will be forced to improve skills and increase activity. Would you rather fall short on a target of $100,000 or $10,000,000? Massive goals require massive amounts of action [see The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone]. Massive action changes the world. How big are your goals?

Start by writing down your goals every morning, and every night, without thinking about how you will accomplish them – just write them down. Whether they are short-term or long-term goals, write them down. It does not matter how ridiculous or impossible they might seem. In fact, the more unrealistic and unreasonable they are, the better. This is for you, and your goals might change from day to day, week to week, or year to year. If they do, that’s okay. The practice of consistently writing your goals down will keep you focused and dialed in on the things that matter to you most. You will become more in tune with your purpose and stretch your thinking beyond your comfort zone. Your comfort zone will expand and your goals and achievements will too.

#5. Invest in Yourself.

Most people fail to invest in themselves, and this creates opportunity for those who do. Too often, we put time, energy, and money into things that will not increase our value or ever pay us back. We place too much attention on the idea of saving our way to future wealth, rather than investing in ourselves to skill up and create it now. As children, we are taught to pinch pennies and save for the future. Eventually, we learn a penny saved is not a penny earned – it’s just a penny.

Investing in yourself will force you to shift your thinking from a save-first approach to a mindset of production and growth.

• Invest in learning the skills you need to advance in your position, business and industry.
• Invest in your health. Invest in your own personal growth, development, and motivation.
• Invest in your relationships.

A strong mental, physical and emotional state is critical to getting ahead and maintaining a competitive edge in today’s crowded marketplace.

#6. Expand Your Network.

The ability to grow and expand your network is valuable in every business and industry. If you have ten friends and your competitor has 10,000, who is more valuable? Your NETWORK is your NET WORTH. Today’s marketplace is noisy, and even the most talented people and businesses can get lost in obscurity. You must get attention to be known. You must expand and engage your network to stay known. Growing your network, is work. It requires you to go beyond your comfort zone and find creative ways to engage with new people. No product or company is going to do this for you – it is up to you. A strong professional network will enhance your visibility, extend your professional reach, and position you for career opportunities in the short and long term.

Social media provides several platforms to expand your network – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap, etc. You must be where your intended audience is. Social media platforms offer incredible opportunity to reach your desired audience, grab attention, and expand your network. Use each platform consistently and frequently to engage with people. For details, check out how to exploit social media from my article, 9 Strategies to Become a Top Producer and Dominate Your Space.

On and off social media, begin by connecting, or re-connecting with, people you already know – friends, family, colleagues, peers, etc. Utilize your power base for references and referrals to grow and extend your network. Ask for introductions to people you should know in their network. The same can be done with secondary contacts such as former schoolmates, professors, and co-workers. Industry networking events, meet-up groups, volunteer work, and interviews are also smart ways to grow and expand your network. Keep a log with notes and contact information of people you meet and follow up with them periodically throughout the year when it makes sense.

#7. Control Time.

Time is our most precious commodity – we never get it back. Everyone has 1,440 minutes in a day. Think about the most productive day you’ve had – what made it productive, and why? Your ability to control and leverage time is your opportunity to get ahead. Controlling time increases your productivity. Most of us don’t understand how the important time is. Every day, people say, “I don’t have time," when most people don't how they actually spend it. If you don’t know how much time you have, or how much time you need, you will not be able to manage it. If you cannot manage time, you will not be able to control it.

Start by determining where you are wasting time each day. Split your day into small blocks of time (e.g. 15 or 30 minutes) and fill your calendar up with productive activity. Make it your mission to eliminate all white space on your schedule. White space is the enemy of production. If you need a break, schedule it. Like anything, productivity is like a muscle and requires resistance to expand and grow.

Set specific priorities. Identify your goals and what defines success for you, then spend your time doing the things that will get you there. Closely track how you spend your time to see where you can eliminate the negative habits and activities that do not contribute to your productivity. Reallocate wasted minutes to productive tasks. Prioritize the tasks and stick to them. If you do not control your time, it will control you.

Now, back to where I first heard the term ‘Send It!’. It came from Austin as he leaped off a cliff in Yosemite, toward the water below – capping off a five-day backpacking trip in the wild. In that moment, he fully committed to going beyond his comfort zone, pushing for more, and capitalizing on his opportunity. Maximize the time you have in this life and commit to the 7 actions above to send it, and increase your value in today’s marketplace.