Good Problems

A good measurement of the health of your pipeline is the types of problems you are solving. Are they the same problems or new problems? If you are spending your time solving the same problems your pipeline is struggling.

The best problems to have are new problems. New problems indicate growth. When you push into new areas, you encounter things that you have never seen and problems that are new to you.

Think of your pipeline like a game. When you are playing a game, you face different levels. If you keep facing the same level over and over, you are not really moving forward. That's like dealing with the same problems all the time in your pipeline. You are stuck in the same spot and not leveling up.

Getting Unstuck

Dealing with the same problems sucks. It is boring and it drains energy. This is why it can be hard to get forward movement.

By the time you are done dealing with the same problems, there is no energy left. It creates a vicious cycle.

There is always one clear way to break the cycle of old problems. New sales. Nothing cures problems like new money.

Look at the problems you are facing. Find one that could not be made less important by new sales. This is why sales is a great profession. We can sell our way out of just about anything.

A good way to get unstuck is to set small weekly goals. Challenge yourself by moving 10 leads either up in your pipeline or off it all together.

Kick the maybes and the fence sitters off as well. Maybes steal hope. They can go. Be honest. If they haven’t closed by now are they really going to close?

Send them back to looky-loo-land. No one should live rent free in your pipeline. Let them kick tires in someone else’s backyard.

The Problems Before the Good Problems

Leveling up with your pipeline is a lot like leveling up in a video game. At the end of each level there is a boss. And that boss has to be dealt with.

As you get close to leveling up and breaking away from the same old problems, expect challenges. The game is not getting any easier. You are just getting better.

Problems change because we have learned how to avoid the common problems of our past. The old problems do not go away. We just get really good at avoiding them or getting them out of the way before they are a big deal.

As you get ready to level up, know that the challenges are going to get harder. Seek out these challenges because they will help you keep progressing forward.

I Beat the Boss. Now what?

Keep looking for challenges. When you work out, you get stronger because you are straining your muscles. Personal growth is the same. The more we engage and challenge ourselves, the more we grow. The more we grow, the more we can handle.

Try not to go backwards. Keep doing the activities that keep your pipeline growing. Neglect your pipeline for a week and you will be back dealing with the same problems.

Stale leads.

Fewer options.

Lack of energy.

Reduced income.

Lost opportunities.

Lowered confidence.

Decreased momentum.

Break the cycle. Adopt the mentality of pipeline over everything. If you add to your pipeline daily, you will start to see new problems. This means you are growing and getting better.

Take Aways

Having the same problems in a pipeline sucks. It drains energy and destroys motivations. Find new problems by pursuing new challenges. Force yourself to level up.

The easiest way to do this is filling your pipeline everyday. Set goals to move leads up or off your pipeline. Get the maybes and the fence sitters out of there. Most of all close deals! New money solves problems.