Have you ever run DOWN an escalator that was going UP? Well, I did at the Tampa Airport last week. Here's what happened:

Last Wednesday I was scheduled to fly from Tampa through Dallas to Phoenix on American Airlines. I just got back from Chicago the day before. It was a very busy week for me.

Usually I fly United Airlines but I just fired them. I'm not a spoiled brat or upper crust in any way. But I do like to treat myself and upgrade to first class once in a Blue Moon.

United Airlines has managed to p_ _ _ off most of their Executive Premier status flyers with the introduction of "Ted," and the elimination first-class upgrades when flying from Tampa.

Back to the story. I'm checking in for my American Airlines flight, using the self check-in terminal. As soon as I swipe my credit card they know who I am. The screen shows my itinerary and YIPPEE - my upgrade request for both legs of the flight to Phoenix have been approved.

I got so excited, it's been so long since I sat up in the front of an airplane, I grabbed the boarding pass and headed for the UP escalator.

I'm holding my Driver's License and the Dallas boarding pass, when I get this sinking feeling in my gut. I only have one of the boarding passes I need to complete both legs of the trip. YIKES!

I look back and can see the computer terminal I just left. There were three people hovering around it - but I could clearly see my second boarding pass still in the computer terminal.

I turned around and I'm one third of the way up to the next level - and no one is behind me. I grabbed my briefcase and carry-on suitcase and started running DOWN the UP escalator.

It was actually exhilarating until I reached the bottom and jumped. Fortunately I made it. I went back to the computer terminal and could see my name on the boarding pass so I grabbed it.

In case you're wondering why I didn't run up the UP escalator and then run down the DOWN escalator - there was no down escalator adjacent to the up escalator. If I wanted to get the boarding pass I had to go down. I had to go back. Time was of the essence!

You might think it's a stretch - I don't, but I see a number of sales parallels here.

Selling on the street is no walk on Primrose Lane. You deal with challenges every day and a lot of these challenges involve time or the lack of it.

To go forward in your career you may need to go back to a book, back to a CD, back to a coach, or even back to basics. I'm absolutely amazed, baffled, and befuddled at how many salespeople treat their jobs like being on a treadmill. A lot of walking but never getting anywhere.

Why anyone, while still alive and breathing, would settle for mediocrity is beyond me.

Don't settle for what you've got, struggle for what you want!

That's the story and here's the point! Sometimes you have to go back in order to get ahead.

Action Step - so what's holding you back? Come on, you know what it is. For example, if you're not organized, not particularly good at managing your priorities and managing your time - it may be time to go back to time management. Isn't it about time? By taking a step back you can oftentimes take a giant step forward:

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Jim Meisenheimer is the No-Brainer Sales Training Guru. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com

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