When I first started my career, I would seek anything with a pulse. 

I was desperate to make a sale. 

My sales hunt was never intrinsically motivated by a commission check. It was never an option for me. 

Thanks, mom. 

My motivation was the hunt. To succeed. To kill the sales prey who would fall trap to my "pitch." What a dope.

The less I sold, the more I'd feel trapped in my head. I'd act more desperate, more sleazy, and less successful.

Feeling desperate happens in many aspects of our lives, not just sales. 

We chase things as if we NEED them. As if thinking about them and being desperate for them will help us attain them.

Being desperate is an action that leads to negative reactions in response to how we're acting.

You see this playing out all around the world today. 

Here's what helps me be proactive and stop chasing random dreams, becoming desperate in my pursuit. 

Control Contingencies 

I was the VP of Acquisition for many years, and one of my core procurement principles was always to have contingencies. 

If a vendor failed to deliver an order, I would have a contingency in place to rectify the situation.

This applies throughout life.

If your goal is to hit $3,000,000 in quarterly sales, what's your contingency plan if your top account goes bankrupt?

If a key team member has to unexpectedly take a week off due to the flu, or now COVID19, what's your contingency plan? 

If the world supply chain shuts down, now what? 

Building and controlling contingencies in your life will make you a lot less desperate in your pursuits.

And no, having a contingency spouse or contingency children is not what I'm talking about here.

When I started my sales career, my contingencies would have been around intense professional development, and not trying to convert a new client at any cost.

• Take one sales development course. 

• Become proficient at cold calling. 

• Develop a new value proposition. 

• Write and test a new script, that's other-oriented. 

• Find ways to create real value.

My contingency wasn't to keep trying to resolve the same problem with the action I was already taking. Instead, it was to try something different.

This contingency allowed me to develop my sales skills, help create value in the marketplace, and think through ways how our organization needs to position itself.

Don't play defense. Play your game on offense.

Being desperate plays victim to a reactive personality. 

People sit back waiting, wanting things they ultimately can achieve. 

It often takes time and hard work by going out and getting what you want. 

We live in a world where specialists are becoming less critical, and generalists are thriving. 

There's immense value in someone who has a broad talent stack. Become great at ten different skills.

It's not enough to develop these skills and let them simmer in your life's abyss. 

You have to learn how to sell. Sell your skills. Sell yourself.

Being desperate is a result of not having enough great skills and being able to sell yourself to others. 

You need to prove why you're valuable.

This doesn't have to be focused on your career or monetary. 

If you're attracted to someone, being desperate is causing a gag reflex in the other person. 

Be confident and sell them why they should pay attention to you. 

What's in it for them? 

Show them WHY!

The best outcome is people fighting for you. No one likes working with someone who acts desperate.