The Big One: Part 1

Sales Man Up

The Big One: Part 1

I've learned it's always better to have a small percentage of a big success, than a hundred percent of nothing. - Art Linkletter


Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. - David Joseph Schwartz


What salesperson hasn't dreamed of catching “The Big One”? That massive dominate end-user in your market , or maybe that corporation whose power and presence extends around the globe. It could be an award winning architectural firm that could end up becoming the partnership of a lifetime. Or, it could be the one school district or university that could change your business dramatically. Possibly, that big fish represents a healthcare system comprising of multiple facilities with plans for explosive growth. Your spine literally tingles at the thought of landing that account as a client. But what are we really wanting to happen?

A relationship. Not a transactional one-time-see-ya-later retail thing, but a long term love-you-and-don't-want-to-go-anywhere-else thing. Face it, we are searching for a corporate marriage of this client’s needs, with our products and services. We want our name to be on their lips and close to their hearts. If they are the peanut butter, then we are the jam. If they start a sentence, then we can finish it. We are top of mind, and a consistent presence that becomes integral to our client’s business. So how do we get from Dodge to selecting the colleges that our children should attend ? Like any good relationship, I have observed the following important traits:

Open Communication

Paul J. Meyer once said, “Communication - the human connection - is the key to personal and career success. “ The ebb and flow within the tide of relationships is learning when to talk and when to listen. I have learned an important revelation in marriage- sometimes my wife simply wants to process life with me, and just wants me to ( wait for it…) sit there and listen. She doesn't need me to run to Home Depot and try to fix everything! I show her that I care by merely listening! Bingo. The same thing happens with our clients. Do we honestly and thoroughly listen to their wants, desires, and problems? Are we responsive within a timely fashion? ( this gets faster every day…) Do we manage expectations and explain exactly what the process or product will do, so that we don't over promise and under perform? What my wife really said, and how I interpret it, can be vastly different. A good counselor or communicator will repeat back what was said to them so that clarification is achieved and everyone is on the same page. Understanding expectations are HUGE. If we drop the ball and fail to inform the client of something important, or if we misunderstand their wishes and get it wrong; then we own it and move forward.

( To be continued….)


I had an idea, I was passionate about it and I had to work hard to turn that into a big success and more products. - Lori Greiner
( Shark Tank entrepreneur)

Life Is Fragile

Sales Man Up

Life Is Fragile

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. -
Charles R. Swindoll


Every man dies. Not every man really lives. - William Wallace


While attending a sales conference last month, I was afforded the opportunity of enjoying breakfast with one of my counterparts from Puerto Rico. When asked about what he learned from the devastating hurricanes that blew through his country last year, he replied with tears in his eyes, “ Life is fragile.” So it is. I know as I pondered my friend’s statement, remembering that immediately after the storm, his soul was tortured, not knowing if some of his closest family members were even alive; or the challenging days that ensued, consisting of hours of waiting in gas lines in hopes to receive just enough fuel to keep his generator running one more day ; I realized how much of this life I have taken for granted. I thought of our friends in Houston who endured their share of Hurricane flooding and destruction; and California residents who ravaged and displaced by fires.

When I reach for the light switch, I automatically assume that the lights will come on. When I twist the handle on the kitchen sink, I don't even question if water will flow out. It doesn't even phase me that my AC will kick on when the thermostat senses the temperature increasing within my house. I take for granted that there is plenty of food within my fridge and pantry, not even giving it a second thought that my family and I have more than enough food to eat for today and the coming weeks. My toughest decision is what we will cook tonight from our large stash of supplies that we purchased at the wholesale club, where it seems like foods are packaged in pallet size containers. And when I leave the house to head off to my sales calls, I assume that the garage door will open with just a push of a lighted switch, and that my SUV will of course start up with one button. For those of us that live in first-world countries, we have become accustomed to the finer things of life. This is not meant to be a guilt trip, but merely an honest assessment.  Only when a natural disaster or personal tragedy strikes, do we find ourselves evaluating which things in life are most important- and it is not usually material possession or things to entertain us.

I think the danger that exists when living with such abundance, manifests itself when we allow ourselves to become lulled into a state of mediocrity. We can even begin to think we deserve these blessings, or slip into a state of apathy . How easily we forget how fragile life really is, and how all of it can change with one blink of the eyes. Is a house really a home without people to live in it ? Do material possessions really matter if there are no meaningful relationships to share them with ? Just how big will HD TV’s become ? 100”?

Sales territories can be fragile too. We can become so comfortable in a position or a successful territory, that we slip into a semi-comatose business state. When things seem to run on auto pilot, the temptation is to lay back and take our foot off the throttle. This could happen in the form of a large contract or a huge annuity client that brings us a steady stream of business. Have you ever fallen into this trap before? I did. Years ago, in another life, I had grown a relationship with a large public entity that accounted for over thirty percent of my annual business. Then suddenly, without warning, the real estate bubble popped, jobs were lost and revenue depleted so that almost overnight; this client dropped in volume by nearly 80%! Yikes ! I made a tactical mistake by not going deep and wide within my market. I took that business for granted assuming that the flow of business would always be there. I was wrong.

Embrace the fact that everything changes, and we have to change and adapt with it. Life is a delicate dance, and at the very moment that we think we've learned all the steps, the song changes. We must stay in the moment, and be thankful for for every blessing along the way !

The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. - Jim Rohn


Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. - Jim Rohn

How's The Weather ?

Sales Man Up
How’s The Weather ?
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. - Anthony J. D'Angelo


There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people. - Bill Bowerman



How’s The Weather outside ? The weather constantly changes, doesn't it ? Like life, it is forever in a state of flux ; and can be forecasted with a modicum of certainty but remains unpredictable- even dangerous at times. We daily check the weather reports because we want to be prepared. How should we dress  ? How should we prepare our family ? Do we have to shovel snow from the driveway? ( not in Florida…) Or do we need to batten down the hatches, put on the storm shutters and hunker down ? ( occupational hazard of living near the coast ). Bottom line - we seek to be informed in order to be properly prepared. When Hurricane Irma blasted up the center of the sunshine state last year, and we were faced with power outages for a week ; I was thankful that I listened to my wife and serviced the generator !  Unfortunately, I should've planned to purchase more fuel in advance, because long gas lines became an educational experience for many people !

Like the weather, the business climate can equally be unpredictable. We cannot control the weather, but we do have ownership over our preparation and reaction to it. Being aware and alert of our environment, is a choice that we must make by thinking ahead. One person defined “luck” once, as “ when preparation meets opportunity “. So why do some sales reps seem to collect many of the opportunities? What are these few brave souls doing differently that allows them to capture the prize over and over again ? My observation is these individuals stay “ tuned in “ to their business climate, and they consistently adjust their approach to effectively meet the needs of their clients and prospects. Like catching a weather alert, they listen to the needs and pain points of their clients, and their umbrellas are in hand before the rain begins to fall.These are the warriors who had the foresight to fill their tanks BEFORE the blizzard. These are wise sages who have a chain saw primed and fresh leather gloves waiting for them BEFORE the sound of falling trees happens in their yard.

Yet some remain clueless and miss the opportunities. Years ago, when our boys were younger, my wife and I rented a small cabin on a meandering stream in North Carolina. After several days of stellar crisp sunny weather, the clouds grew dark. My sister in law happened to call us from Florida to warn us that Hurricane Opal was heading our way. Being native Floridians, we heeded the news and rushed to the local grocery store to purchase non perishables, candles, firewood and flashlights. It amazed my wife and I how laid back the natives were concerning the impending storm. We felt like we were playing in one of those apocalyptic Sci Fi movies, where only three people know the world is going to blow up, freeze over, get hit with a meteor, or be invaded by aliens in just 24 hours. The calm before the storm. Everyone else was chilled out sipping root beer and eating “ Mamas French Toast” at Cracker Barrel. No harm in that, but we had personally experienced storms before, and we were not taking any chances. Our preparation paid off, as Hurricane Opal ripped through Georgia and into the Carolinas. The meandering stream became a rushing torrent ( that we used to flush the toilets with..). Winds blew, trees cracked, power lines snapped; and the “ welcome to Franklin” sign read, “ Welcome to F”. The ONLY restaurant that we could find that remained open after the storm was Pizza Hut . Why ? They prepared for a potential emergency by investing in a generator! Everyone else’s food spoiled. So guess who got all of the after storm business? The one who thought ahead, and made plans to succeed.

So...what's the weather like in your market? Are you prepared, alert, and in tune with the changing climate ? Your survival may depend on it.

Weather forecast for tonight: dark. - George Carlin


You can't get mad at weather because weather's not about you. Apply that lesson to most other aspects of life. - Douglas Coupland