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