|  What have we learned from sales? That there is such a thing as the customer's needs. That everyone is unique. That we have a responsibility to meet those needs, and it takes sufficient information to fill those needs.
Why do I say to ask and ask again for the sale? I'll clue you in on something. We live in an amnesiatic society - that is, one that forgets as soon as you tell them. We were in shock in Oklahoma after the blast that killed 168 people. We were in shock as a nation on 9-11 after 2 airplanes crashed into the WTC. We were in shock as we saw our own young men and women go off to die in two wars, in first Afghanistan and then Iraq, for greed and money. And yet, I am saying that sales is still the key to making a turn around.
When we are in a state of shock, we will not be able to remember from one day to the next what we learned the day before. Therefore, to make sales we have got to constantly remind our potential customer of the need to make a purchase. I haven't got this by some mystical revelation, this is what life in the big city is all about.
I have to relate some stories here, for stories, or tales, or folklore, is what essentially drives the point home. I was attempting to sell dog and catfood, specifically Canidae, for a friend of mine. He didn't want me to. In fact, he discouraged me. He said, "Dan, you don't even own a dog!", when he owned the top Bull Mastiffs in the world. True, I didn't own a dog at the time, but I had one at one time, and besides, my next door neighbor raised wolves, and they were hungry. Since it was all natural, and had more meat than grain, I thought, "Hmm... maybe they'd like to eat this food instead of scraps?" Problem was, it was $40 a bag at the time. And my neighbor would never pay that. But, if I could secure a contract to sell this food, open up retail accounts, and so forth, maybe, just maybe I could feed those wolves with the broken bags.
Turned out, yes indeed, I did secure the contract to sell, and then fed the wolves with the broken bags. Funny thing. My neighbor kept those wolves in a pen, and nobody in that little village was allowed in, except for me. I'd bring them my scraps or my food from the broken bags. The b*tch would always run from me when I came in, but the dominant male just stood there, looking straight at me like I was living on borrowed time. And when I left the pen, he'd immediately go for the food.
At any rate, I dealt with feed store dealers a bunch. You want to talk about a tough bunch of guys and gals to sell. Oh, they'd pay you alright, but every single detail had to be covered. No BS, no making excuses, no "I'm a victim". Why was that? They worked with animals, in their off time. Animals, by the way, are single-natured. They are either loyal or they don't like you. They either will eat in front of you, or they won't. They are either afraid, or they are fierce, and ready to protect. You don't have to doubt where they are coming from. Or going to. If you deal with animals on a daily basis, and the feed they require (and they always require feed, and fresh water), then you're likely to take on some of their qualities. So, selling feed store dealers meant getting into their mindset, and their mindset was largely about the horses, cattle, dogs, cats, fish, or whatever that they dealt with on a daily basis.
Back to the wolves: At approximately 2 AM on some nights (maybe with the phases of the moon), these wolves would start howling. I'd sit out on my back deck and listen, looking out over the Arkansas state line. And smelling the busted sewage pipe. It was kind of eerie. But, those wolves howling reminded me of how it was possible to still be wild, even in a pen. By way of introduction, presentation, closing, and payment, we learn to still be wild, even in a pen. For we are in a matrix, a confined space, a prison. That's the bad news. The good news is that we can howl till our lungs give out. And howl we will, and if that means selling something, asking for a decision, and requiring payment for services or products rendered, then that is what we have to do.
This is one of those posts that most are not even ready to hear. For those, I have to say "Fare thee well, fare thee well." For I want all to prosper. From the poorest child in Nairobi to the richest man on Wall Street. I don't anyone to go without. How can I, for what I wish upon others is bound to come back on me? What goes around, comes around. You just do those four things: introduction, presentation, closing, and payment. Of course, in all of this will be documentation. But, you'll cover that base by being in a suitable relationship. You cannot wear all hats at all times - remember that. You have to delegate. You have got to turn over the responsibility for certain tasks over to someone (uh, oh!) more qualified. More suited to that task. Sorry, but the good news is that she may be attractive and quite skilled in other things as well. Or he.
Happy hunting, oh ye warriors of old,
Dan
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