The Green Eggs and Ham Sales Seminar

I would not eat green eggs and ham... Sam I am.

Who knew Dr. Seuss's Sam was a sales guru? One of my earliest reading experiences with my mom and dad was a Dr. Seuss book. Whether it was the colorful characters or the rhyming that made them stand out and forever be etched in my mind, I don't know. What I do know is that obviously that reading set the table for my future sales background.
There were many sales techniques Sam exuded but three in particular should be considered.

1- Staying the course and not wavering
2- Offering potential customers choices
3- Refusing to give up.

If you stop to ponder those traits they will most likely be the consistent traits for any superior salesperson. Crazy at it seems, not all salespeople posess these traits.

Fisrt, when you are in sales it's easy to lose your focus especially when confronted with the common responses of "no", "not interested", "get lost". But, it is the superior salesman who refuses to heed those responses and continues his/her course.
Second, offering your customer choices will offer several perspectives. Sometimes those unique angles demonstrate your product in an improved or enhanced light.
Third, refusing to give up might be the toughest of those traits to realize. Tough skin is not inherent in all people. But, those who do have it aren't detered when they hear negativity. In fact, they will often feed on that pesssimism and make that sale that much more essential and will go to any lengths to in fact aquire or secure that person as a customer. It becomes a principal goal at that point.
So, take a lesson from my green friend Sam and learn the importance of polite persistence. The most successful sales people ask for the sale seven or eight times and don't give up at the first sign of resistance. For Sam was in fact green with envy... envy over finding a new mark whom he hadn't secured as one of his own... yet.

'Guys Night Out'- Part Two

As was the case with the initial installment of 'Guys Night Out', part II revolves around the rare time old friends share with one another. This week will mark the first time another close circle of my friends, from college no less, will convene since my wedding the preceding August. Well, that's not entirely true as three of the four musketeers gathered for an exceptional event this past February when the greatest NFL team of all time won another Super Bowl to add a fifth ring on their hand.
That extraordinary day aside though, the four amigos, Llama, Mike D, and Xman, and yours' truly, knowing one another a minimum of 25 years, haven't gathered to break bread or share a cold beverage since my last day of bachelorhood. A sad statement indeed.
When you stop and think about that declaration it is remarkable. It is noteworthy, for we invested ample time together from gradeschool through college and then upon graduation life as we knew it seemed to halt and that quality time was pulled in many other directions. It was at though the above-forementioned directions forced our time together to wain and concessions were made with that quality time.
Why then do we tend to distance ourselves from those who mean a great deal to us? Is it simply adulthood taking hold and forcing our hand acquiescing to our habitual routine? Or is it the fact that we grow up, older, and wiser and understand that those persons will in fact understand that we have moved forward with our own individual lives. That advancement doesn't mean we progress without our friends but simply beyond the times we gather. When age and maturity finally catch up, we are reminded our immortality has long since deserted us and we are merely older and hopefully wiser beings who need to reach out and share that time once again with those who supported us in our formative years.
Indeed, our buddies and close friends whom we have not forsaken but simply lost touch with over the years should always welcome us back with open arms.
But, it is our duty then to rekindle the moments shared with our friends to show them that we haven't lost that kinship but meerly set it aside to persue different goals.
This week our time together though brief and long overdue will serve notice that our future meetings will occur on a more regular basis.
So, I challenge you who read this to kindle those friendships again and reach out to those you haven't spoken to in quite a while. Why? Because it is "our" duty frankly to keep those friendships burning as we all grow older. For very soon we will be old and gray and reminiscing about old times and wishing we had invested more time and created more memories along the way.
Until next time...