Decision-making is one of the most prized qualities of successful sales executives. Too often however, we lack the confidence to make the decision, take action and then manage the consequence. So, what do we do? We procrastinate and then berate ourselves when someone else gets the same idea, takes action and wins.

Thomas Edison once said that 75 percent of all ideas would work except for the lack of persistence.

What you tell yourself in the first few seconds following an idea will many times determine the height of your success. Generally speaking, decisions to act are far more valuable and constructive than decisions to wait. So, the next time you get an idea, instead of waiting until someone else comes up with the same concept…

• Define your idea on paper
• Draw a line down the center and mark the two columns "pros" and "cons"
• List the number of good reasons for going ahead with your decision under the "pro" column
• List the minuses under "cons"
• Add up your scores. You’ll generally find that there are always more "pros" than "cons" – so make the decision and succeed!