You Have to be Present to Win

By Tim Rooney

Many of us have heard this advice before.

Why do I like it so much?  I like it because it means you don’t always have to be the smartest or the most skilled to win.  As Woody Allen once said – “80 % of success is just showing-up.”

I ran a webinar on leadership the other day – 40 people registered – only 30 showed up.  Some people think that’s quite good - it’s normal for half not to show – so be happy Tim!

As a part of the Markham Board of Trade I’m part of a committee set up to welcome new members. Typically 20 to 30% of the people who said they would come, who joined to network, who register – then fail to turn-up!!

I love competing against these kinds of people.  

Being present means you have to continue to be present – sometimes that’s tough when you have to get up at 5 in the morning to beat the traffic and the 6 inches of snow.

How about this statistic? 50% of prospects make buying decisions after a year and 8 “touches.”

Only 4 % of sales people are in race after the year – the others have given-up!  The tortoise in this super fast world – beats the hare hands down.

I like this quote - I just heard it from Paul Azinger – successful US Ryder Cup captain, cancer survivor and PGA champion.  It seems to fit well with the theme of “being present to win.” Paul was being interviewed by David Feharty when he said;

“Confidence is an earned commodity.”

He was of course talking about continuing to grind away to find your confidence which tends to fluctuate from time to time in golf as in life.