Fred, Age 51, Doubled His Income in 12 Months. Here’s What I Learned
A shot in the arm I desperately need
Fred will finish the year as the Top Salesperson this year.
It is an unbelievable feat. 12 months ago, Fred stood [right] at the bottom of the sales Totem Pole. No one spoke to him. Everyone was busy with themselves.
It did not bother him.
Fred worked on himself.
8 am to 8 pm, sometimes longer.
I watched him grind in the office as I was trying to increase my commissions. He failed to close deals again and again. But he never faltered. He pushed on.
Today, he rejoice.
An Open Conversation in exchange for a Cup of Coffee
I love Fred.
I mean, this guy, he has an infectious laugh. And I am not kidding when I say this. He is good at laughing disappointments away.
He would routinely say this.
“What can I do? Well. The sun will rise again tomorrow. Opportunities are going to come!”
Fred brightens my day when I need sunlight in my cubicle.
That was our interaction for the past year. Today is slightly different.
We [just] walked out of a sales team meeting. In that session, the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) showed us who’s who in the Top 3 measured by deals closed.
And commissions earned.
Even the sleepiest guy woke up.
And everyone gasped.
Some were unkind.
- “Fred? Fred?! He is the top sales? How is that possible?”
- “Wow. He trashed Jane by 50%! What the f**k!!”
- “Man. The dark horse won the race.”
These were the friendlier mutters I heard in an open space.
The vulgar and the sour grapes are not worth mentioning.
I turned around, looked at Fred, and put my left hand on his right shoulder.
“Good job, man. This is unbelievable. Coffee after this?”
He was a proud man that morning.
“Sure! On you!”
Money Matters
“Hey, Fred. You doubled your commissions in a year. What did you do? I want to steal the secrets of your success.”
He detonated a laughter bomb in Starbucks. It was a quiet morning. Every patron heard us. They looked in our direction.
Fred ignored. He was happy.
“Secrets? Hmm. What secrets? Okay, good question. I need to reflect on the year anyway. Give me 5 minutes to dig into my memory lane.”
Fred did not stare at the ceiling. He grabbed his pen and scribbled on the back of the napkin nearest to him.
He was serious. I liked it.
He looked up when he was done.
“Here! I can think of 3. Maybe there are more?”
Fred passed me the napkin. I perused the words on it. It says,
- “Big deals start small.”
- “Treat prospects like family.”
- “Ask for a salary increase with confidence.”
I read and re-read the words on the napkin. I flipped it over to check that I missed nothing.
Fred laughed.
“Hey. I wrote only 3 sentences. Don’t be an assh0le!”
I laughed [also]. I behaved like an idiot. I thought there were more.
Maybe… less is more.
“Alright, I am ready to fire questions. First one. Tell me. At what point did you ask for a salary increase?”
Fred pulled no punches.
“When I Knew I Was a Heavyweight Contributor.”
“I kid you not, Aldric. I only asked for a salary increase when I had the confidence to do so. It took me 8 months and three 6-digit deals to do so.”
He was explaining.
I was listening.
And then, we went back and forth.
“Yes, I know, Fred. My question is… how do you know that THAT~ is the point to ask?”
Lo and Behold, he said,
“The CRO came to me and asked if I needed more help. He saw more clients coming to me. He asked if I needed sales associates to support me while I worked to close deals.”
I went silent.
Damn it! The CRO never asked me that. I better buck up!
Fred continued.
“I told him I do not need any for now. I am busy, but not over-the-brim. And then, I popped the salary question. I suggested a 40% base salary increment and a +5% commission rate.”
I was bewildered. Wow…
“He said yes without skipping a heartbeat. Of course, I did not get 100% of what I asked for. We landed on a 30% base salary increment and a +7% commission rate. No matter. I couldn’t be happier.”
Of course. Why not? I would be, too!
But what he said next… matters more.
At least, to me.
“I don’t know what secrets you are searching for, Aldric. I got here because I’m committed to my work and to earn more. You know it. You saw me work until 8, 9. And I always pick up your call at 10 in the evening, right?”
Fred is right.
He is committed to his work.
He is committed to earning more. Nothing wrong with that. We need it to feed our families and keep ourselves going.
But I identified one attribute Fred did not.
He treats everyone with sincerity.
Clients are comfortable around him. In fact, I’ve heard clients lament about their kids to him. Or their better halves. That says a lot. It takes trust and friendship to do so.
And I would say… that is a secret weapon he has.
And many don’t.
That is why big and small clients continue to knock on his door.
The Close
Doubling our income in 12 months is a Herculean feat.
Fred made it look easy. It is not.
Try staying in the office from 8–8.
You will blend into the workspace. I heard colleagues calling Fred furniture behind his back. Well. They might be onto something.
One thing stood out to me.
Fred demonstrates an unwavering commitment to his work. He carries himself like a farmer, working hard to sow the seeds of success even with no visible progress.
He chucked along.
Today, he has an orchard. And he enjoys the fruits of his labor.
Success is made up of blood, sweat, and tears.
- Unfortunately, that might be it.
- For many people I know, the proven path is difficult to walk.
- And unfortunately for many, they continue wasting time searching for the accelerated path.
Maybe there aren’t any.
Not when we are trying to double our income in 12 months.
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