Yesterday I received a joke from a friend and while I was laughing and shaking my head, I posted it as “Albert Einstein on Sales“. If you didn’t see it, you should, whether you’re a 20-something or in your golden years. It’s six funny/sad pictures that depict a hilariously deadly truth.
Mediocrity is dying.
There are those that believe that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and the middle class is being squeezed into extinction. There are also those that believe that the rich are holding the poor down and getting rich on the backs of the poor. Don’t get fired up! This is not a political debate and it’s not about good vs. evil. It’s about reality. I wrote this post about how few earn $200,000 per year in 2008 and this past July, I wrote this post about how many VSB’s earn $45,000/year.
My point is that it’s not getting better for the middle class and it’s not getting better for mediocrity. My second point is that I don’t believe that the rich are holding anybody down. Rather, I suggest that most that are or aspire to be rich give opportunities to others that are unwilling to accept mediocrity.
Let’s wrap up with three to-do’s.
- Stop laughing or shaking your head at people that are ‘thumbing’ their smart phones. They might be buying from your competitor. On the flip side, don’t laugh at those people that are talking on their phone. They may also be buying from your competitor. Learn to communicate the way they want to communicate.
- This one’s tough. Ask yourself if you’ve allowed mediocrity into your life. If you think that you may have, have a conversation with someone that won’t be nice to you. I don’t mean that they’ll be mean, but they can’t sugar-coat the truth. They have to help you dig into the what and the why. You may have to pay them for an objective analysis.
- Finally, hire somebody that’s different from you to help you kick start 2013. If you’re comfortable with virtual, get someone that’s comfortable with real. If you’re a technical introvert, get someone that’s a social butterfly. If you have a flip phone, get someone with a Droid (or an iPhone). The important thing is to get someone that will help you CHANGE and not allow you to be lenient with yourself.
I won’t make this #4, but stop hanging around with mediocre people. Clients, co-workers, and others will tell you not to rock the boat or that it’s not your fault or you’re doing the best that you can do. Use the Schedule a call link on my sidebar to schedule a call with me. I’ll tell you to rock the boat, it is your fault and that you can do better.
RainMakers & Sales Rock Stars 
Rick it is funny this article hitting at this point. Yesterday I was in the process of writing a note to someone on facebook. They were bitching about other people going on strike and how stupid it was in this economy. Thoughts like this and people complaining about the economy just really drives me up the wall. One thing I have learned over the years through working with you and reading a ton of business books, listening to audio books or motivational CDs is that it is very important that you take responsibility for where you are. If you are in a bad spot it is because you ARE excepting mediocrity somewhere. Change is hard but in order to change you first have to understand you need to change and then decide that you are willing to change. This is where that friend or partner comes in. I love the idea of looking for someone that is a complete opposite. I haven’t really thought about finding mentors that are polar opposites, but this is a really strong point. This has really got me thinking. How often do people try to reach for someone just like them. Are these people objective enough to tell you how it is or do they have some of the same issues as you do so how much can you actually learn from them. It is limited.Anyhow, I thought this was a really good perspective.
My youngest son is 14. He has a friend, who in his words, is stupid. His friend’s idea of entertainment is snorting pepper to see what happens. When he told me about it, I replied “You are the company you choose to keep.”You realize #4 when you start doing #1-3. If the company you keep doesn’t challenge you, tell you the truth instead of what you want to hear, or make you a better person, then it is time to find some new company.
My only disagreement with your article is that I think it is actually getting better for mediocrity. Success is being portrayed as evil by many in today’s society. Mediocrity is now being portrayed as a positive character trait.
Doesn’t make it right, though.
I gotta agree with Rick on this one. Mediocrity is a positive character trait when you hang out with mediocre. I have thought the rich were holding the poor down. But I’ll also say that education is the key to success. If people are willing to be mediocre and not take responsibility for where they are then they are the ones holding themselves down. You can break out of mediocrity by reading a book (even the poor can do this for free at the library) and/or hanging out with people who have accomplished more than you (not the pepper snorters of the world as Carole stated earlier). Settling for mediocrity is a crime. So where are you settling? We all do it to some degree. Find you mediocrity and start to change it!
Ah c’mon… gimme a break! (I deserve it.)