WHAT CHAMPIONS NEVER DO

What are other barriers that can prevent us from reaching the top of the ladder of success, apart from the opposites of PEAK performance given by Rene and apart from the principles propounded by Dr. Jocano?

There are but seven general obstacles to achieving peak performance, even when you are not under pressure. These are the seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Salesperson. These seven are surefire downers that will plunge you mercilessly into the deepest pit of misfortune, if you nurture them.

You hear these everywhere. Probably, day and night too. It is possible that you yourself may be using these surefire downers without being aware of them. Let me introduce each one of them to you. It is important that you are able to indentify them all, so that eventually you will stop using them. In fact, how about starting TODAY?

Never nurture BAKA (perhaps; maybe; might). Remember that you are a salesperson, not a rancher. In the Philippines, ranchers take care of a different BAKA (cow). For example, you are scheduled to go to a client, but you choose not to proceed because it might rain (baka umulan) or you might not find your client in his office or house (baka hindi mo abutan ang kliyente mo sa kanyang opisina o bahay). You think, he might not interested or might not have the money ( baka, `ika mo, hindi interesado o walang pera). In case he is in his office, he might not be in the mood to entertain you; or, worse, he might be in a foul mood ( baka naman wala siyang ganang makita ka; o, masahol, baka mainit ang ulo niya). Or, he might have already invested elsewhere (baka napunta na sa iba).

What about your next client? Will you still meet with him? No more, because there is traffic (KASI matrapik); because you do not have a car (kasi wala kang kotse); because you have an LBM [loose bowel movement] attack (kasi sira ang tiyan mo); because you are not proficient in English (kasi hindi ka gaanong marunong mag-Ingles); because you client belongs to the elite (kasi elitista ang kliyente mo); because it will be coffee break when you get there (kasi nag kakape na pagdating mo doon); or because it is hot (kasi mainit)?

How about your third client? Why are you not making a call on him? You assume that he will not make it to his office today (AKALA mo, hindi siya makararating sa opisina ngayon). You assume that he is out-of-town (akala mo, nagbakasyon sa ibang lugar). You assume that he will ignore you because of your appearance (akala mo, iisnabin ka lang niya dahil sa ayos mo). You assume that he will buy from someone else (akala mo, bibili na siya sa iba). You assume that it is true (akala mo, totoo)!

But why are you like that? How can you make a sale with that kind of attitude?

"Yes, I know. If I had a car, I would have an easier time going from one office to another (KUNG me kotse ako, madali nang pumunta sa mga opisina). If I had a decent suit, I would be able to meet with my elite clientele ( kung me amerikana ako, pwede ko ang sugurin ang mga sosyal na kliyente ko)."

Another way of feeling inadequate is through wishful thinking. "I wish I knew the mayor, I'd be OK (SANA kilala ko ang alkalde, OK na ako). I wish I had money, I could buy impressive clothes and shoes (sana may pera ako, makabibili ako ng bonggang damit at sapatos). I wish we weren't thirteen siblings, I would have gone to school (sana hindi kami labintatlong magkakapatid, nakapag-aral ako)."

There are a lot of other ways to improve your lot. Do you agree? Do you not want to succeed? "I want to, but this is the way I really am (pero TALAGANG ganito na ako); but I am really an engineer, not a doctor (pero talagang inhinyero ako, hindi duktor); but I really easily get tired (pero talagang madali akong mapagod); but I really have no patience talking with clients (pero talagang kulang ako sa tiyaga na makipapag-usap sa mga kliyente)."

Finally, there is this four-lettered defeatist word LANG (only), which is deeply ingrained in the Filipino daily conversations. You often hear it any where.

"Wow, what beautiful shoes you have!"

"Mura lang 'yan (They are only cheap)."

"Is it imported?"

"Hindi. Lokal lang! (No. It is only locally made!)"

"Where do you go to school?"

"Sa UST lang (Only in UST)."

"What are you taking up?"

"Nursing lang (Only nursing)."

"Will you work abroad?"

"Hindi. Dito lang sa Pinas. (No. Only in the Philippines)."

" By the way, where do you live?"

"Sa Tondo lang (Only in Tondo)."

"Oh, do you have a house there?"

"Wala. Nangungupahan lang. (None. We're only renting.)"

"What's your father's occupation?"

"Magsasaka lang (only a farmer), bumbero lang (only a fireman), drayber lang (only a drive), empleyado lang sa City Hall (only a City Hall employee). kartero lang (only post man), ahente lang (only a salesperson)...."

Hold it! I beg to disagree with you. Salesperson only? I am a professional salesperson. There is dignity in what I am doing. This is a decent job. I do not fool anyone. I am proud of what I am, and I am proud of what I do. In the same token, there is also dignity in the other occupations just mentioned as well as the many others not included here. Whatever your calling in life is, as long as it is above reproach, be proud of it.

Lang is the most humiliating and insulting prefix, if I may say so, ever added to decent nouns. Lang is not an expression of humility as some may contend. It is a suggestion of embarrassment and inferiority, as if someone or something is always so insultingly better than what you are and what you have. The word lang divests you of whatever lofty or respectable position you are in because it hints of inferiority or embarrassment.

"What is your car brand, Mr. Tupaz?"

"Mazda lang po."

Only a Mazda, just because you know that your friend has a Benz?

All of these surefire downers will push you towards the wrong direction away from your dreams.

Are you not interested in at least trying to change your direction in life so that you will become successful? "I'm interested. Who wouldn't want to succeed? But perhaps, this is my fate. If that were so, there's really nothing I could do, is there?"

Believe me, there is! Listen to a seventeen-year-old farmer with whom Dr. Jocano has had a conversation during one of his intensive research work.

"Do you believe in fate?"

"Yes. It if God who has etched the lines."

"Where are the lines etched?" asks Dr. Jocano."In our palms?"

"Why the palms?"

"So that we hold the future. So that we can control our becoming successful or not."

"Son, do you believe you will succeed? I know you are a tenant here," probes the doctor."

"Now, yes. I am a tenant," answered the young man. "But it won't be long before all of this will be mine. I will buy it all. I will study at the CLAC* this coming school year."

What a healthy self-confidence he has! He knows that he holds his future in his hands that is why he sees to it that he controls it. Real champions are like him. They become champions because they struggle so hard to make themselves so. Losers are losers because they personally designed their lives to be such.