The Only Constant Thing Is Change

Since I was 12 years old, I have been a runner. Running has been something I have enjoyed since my childhood, and I have continued to enjoy it throughout my life. Running competitively through middle school, high school, and college was difficult though. I had to use different strategies to avoid burning out. I put in tough work doing hard intervals on the track as well as 12-mile long runs, but I also enjoyed fun days, slower runs, and adventurous runs with teammates to break up the intensity. I stayed motivated by setting goals and maintaining focus. Eventually, the fun and games combined with the grind and tough workouts rewarded me when I qualified for state and national competitions. The steps I took to achieve success in running are very similar to the steps I take to succeed in sales.

I have to make hundreds of calls daily on my Acquirent account. Just like in running, I set a goal that keeps me motivated to come in and get those calls done every day. I put in work, keeping a positive attitude on every call. I employ a few tactics to prevent myself from burning out. To boost my productivity, I like to spread my calls throughout the day. I also take two-minute breaks after sets of calls to talk with my teammates, whether it be to vent or just laugh. My hard work is rewarded when I make sales and grow revenue. Positive attitude and grit are important factors to my success in both running and sales.

When I ran, my teammates and I took turns passing around motivational quotes to stay focused for our track meets. During my best races, I often found myself repeating parts of those quotes in my head, remembering that I was strong enough to finish and finish fast.

“Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life,” was a quote I heard during orientation at Acquirent, and just like during my college and high school track days, I begin my days now with that positive reminder. This affirmation benefits me in sales because it helps me to envision yesterday’s work behind me and focus on today’s as beginning anew. Resetting hundreds of calls and conversations to zero, both on my computer and in my head, helps to remind me that today, everything has the potential to be great again.

Running since the age of 12 until now at 23 has been interesting. Although my activity has been consistent, there have always been elements of change. There were coaching and captain changes, body and injury changes, and changes to the types of races I ran throughout the years. While these changes seemed significant at the time, they were all fairly minor changes to which I easily adjusted. What I didn’t realize then is that most change is minor and it is most often beneficial.

“The only constant thing about Acquirent is change,” is something CEO Joseph Flanagen says all the time, and I have found it to be true. Every person I talk to each day is different from the last. On some days work is slow, and on others, I don’t have time to sit down. Staying positive, motivated, and goal-oriented while demonstrating grit and remembering that change is good are all things I have learned through both running and sales, and they are important to remember to be successful at Acquirent.

Sarah Coon

Sales Executive, Acquirent