Vol. XX

Dear Manager,

In a conversation with one of my associates a few years ago, she referenced a recent set of circumstances relating to her development of a new customer. With a new account lead in hand, she began the process of following it up. After her third effort to reach this client, she was successful in scheduling an appointment. The directions she was given seemed a bit odd; of particular concern was the customer’s suggestion to “… just follow the corn signs along the highway” to her place of business. After over an hour of driving, she saw the farmhouse surrounded by a pumpkin patch that was, without question, her destination.

With a roll of the eyes, and a personal admonition for not better qualifying this lead, she headed up the stairs to introduce herself. The woman who greeted her was a delightful individual, sincerely appreciative of a sales professional’s time. While her purchasing objectives looked to be modest, the associate realized that this was the client’s first step in fulfilling a life-long dream.

As you may have guessed, after a few hours of sharing industry basics and product knowledge, the associate returned to her car with little financial reward for her efforts. On the drive back (past the corn signs), she remembered her first difficult steps into the business world. She began to wonder what path her career might have taken had it not been for the help and support she received from others along the way.

She realized it had been a long time since she had allowed herself to do what one could easily assume to be a wasted and ineffective use of time. It was one of those times in life (we’ve all been there) when we are hit squarely in the face with our own reality. All good sales professionals are single-minded, driven, and accomplishment/reward oriented. On occasion, all good sales professionals are set back on their heels, in essence to achieve a much higher priority! It is so common in life for all of us to forget. This salesperson was pleased to remember, and to give back.

As managers, all of us have been in the position, either on the phone or in person, of being asked for a gift of our time. With all the demands on our day- to-day schedule, it can become increasingly difficult to take a few moments for meeting this very definite need. It always seems to come at the least opportune time.

FINDING THE “RIGHT” TIME

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Have we stepped up to our responsibility to exceed or even pay back the efforts of those who, over time, have greatly impacted our own success? All of us can remember those individuals who had the time, and made a critical difference in our lives. In most cases, their efforts are not fully realized until years after the fact, when we can then see their greatest qualities in our own efforts. Now is the time to consistently share a few moments of time with those outside the needs of our own objectives. This is who we are; this is why we are here.

It is generally around the approach the New Year that we all have a sense of accomplishment and renewal. There is a much greater awareness and appreciation towards those within our “circle of influence.” For me, it is a time to realize that perhaps I have not shown enough appreciation. Have I been effective in carrying the feelings of the season with me on an annual basis as well as I could have? I guess from a business and personal perspective, it is a time of self-accounting. How does the ledger look in the plus and minus columns?

As a Sales Professional, have 99% of your conversations with your manufacturers become related to immediate problem solving and meeting today’s objectives? In retrospect, how many of these issues, and your reactions to them, now seem much less important? How many of these issues can you even remember? How often do you take the time to call your manufacturers for the sole purpose of letting your appreciation be heard, and to acknowledge your understanding of the value of this relationship to you individually? Take the time to call and share a bit of your understanding of their needs. The commonly untapped resource of your field-level knowledge has a responsibility to be shared. The time is now.

As a Manufacturer, have you taken full advantage of the opportunity to acknowledge and reward the efforts of those individuals and organizations that are consistently dedicated to enhancing your products in the marketplace? Is it much more common to make the difficult calls of reprimand than it is to simply call in appreciation for a job well done? Have you established a call cycle to those organizations that have met your monthly, quarterly or even annual mutual objectives? Are you committed to the relentless search for a real understanding of your sales team, and how to consistently meet their needs through your own objectives? In all honesty, this is an ever changing and evolving commitment to success.

I think we could agree these are all well-founded objectives. They become increasingly difficult to implement in the fast-paced, catch-the-tiger’s-tail world in which we live. We have all watched another business executive at an airport: the walk, the intensity in their face, and the tone in their voice. Have you wondered what “forces” may have brought about this posture? Would others find these qualities in our demeanor?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO REMIND OURSELVES TO TAKE LIFE JUST A BIT SLOWER, TO TAKE OURSELVES, EACH OTHER AND OUR PROFESSIONS JUST A BIT LESS SERIOUSLY?

Several years ago, a story was related to me about an individual in my industry whom I had always greatly admired. Sheldon Babyatsky was the Vice President of Sales for one of our paper product manufacturers. During the holiday shipping season, Sheldon’s assistant rushed into his office, frantically announcing that a very large Christmas order for Macy’s Department Store had somehow been misplaced. It was now very late in the season, and his assistant was convinced that through this blunder they had lost the entire sale. Sheldon calmly turned to his assistant and responded, “We sell paper, not plasma. There’s nothing here that’s life and death.”

Our careers are important, and we would not have become successful if we did not approach each day with a sense of urgency to accomplish our given tasks. “Paper, not plasma.” Sheldon’s words echo through my mind on many occasions, and are worth remembering during our perceived moments of crisis. What may seem so imminently critical and all consuming is, in most cases, no longer significant in a few days. In a few months, it’s gone and forgotten. We must also remember that our success has come from the support of someone along the way who made time to spend with us. I would even guess that all of us can remember the individual or individuals by name. They must have helped to fulfill a dream.

Personal Regards,

Keenan

INTERPERSONAL© is published by INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM, Keenan Longcor, Editor, ©2008. Duplication of this publication is permitted for both personal and business use. Excerpts may only be quoted with acknowledgment of INTERPERSONAL/INTERPERSONALBIZ.ORG as the source. For re-publication rights, please contact the editor at KEENAN@INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM