This quote is a reference to the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, which states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In this context, it means that approximately 20% of salespeople are responsible for about 80% of total sales made in any given scenario. The suggestion to “resolve to be among the top 20%” is an encouragement to strive for excellence and aim to be part of this high-performing minority.
The quote implies that success in sales (and potentially in other areas) isn’t evenly distributed but instead tends towards a pattern where a small percentage reap most rewards. It’s not necessarily suggesting that there’s unfairness or injustice at play; rather, it could indicate those in the top percentile are leveraging their skills, strategies or resources more effectively.
Applying this principle can lead one towards focusing on what really matters and cutting out inefficiencies. For instance, if you’re in sales, you might identify which products or services bring in most profits and focus your selling efforts there. Or you might find out which clients are most lucrative and invest more time nurturing those relationships.
In personal development terms, it could mean identifying which habits or actions yield the greatest benefits for your wellbeing or progress – then prioritizing these over less productive activities. For example: if reading industry-related articles for an hour each day dramatically improves your work performance (putting you into a metaphorical ‘top 20%’ category at work), then doing more of this activity would be beneficial.
One interesting perspective is how this principle aligns with our current world where wealth distribution often mirrors the Pareto Principle – with a small percentage possessing much wealth while others have significantly less. This isn’t just limited to financial wealth either; similar patterns can be seen across various aspects such as data consumption on internet platforms etc., highlighting its relevance today.
Overall though, it’s important to remember that this principle isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, but a trend observed in many areas of life. It’s not about achieving exact percentages, but rather understanding the concept and leveraging it for personal or professional growth.