Build It and They Will Come

I was fortunate to have a friend on the sales staff, Linda. Linda approached me one day, and asked why I had a frown on my face. I didn’t even realize that my body language was being picked up by others, but the frustration was showing. I proceeded to explain to her how easy my first sales job was, by comparison. The fruit of my labor came quicker.

Well, the fact is that in my first job there was barely any competition. There was a weekly newspaper and no other radio stations. TV was not affordable in our small market, so they had to use us to get the message out to the customers, with any type of frequency.

So in that second job, Linda explained to me that it just takes a little more time. She confirmed that I was doing everything right, and then she said the magic words…She said, build it and they will come.” I had no choice but to listen to a more experienced salesperson, my first mentor. I just kept building relationships one after another-learning more about my potential clients.

In a matter of six more months, I was the top salesperson on the staff of six. The fruit of my labor continued to roll in and increase the entire time I was in the position. It is not an easy thing to recognize while you are in the thick of things yourself.

I can tell you that from that day on, in every sales position I’ve been in, as well as coaching hundreds of other salespeople, those that are patient and understand, are rewarded with success in the same way. Are you patient and building for the future?

What are your challenges when it comes advertising your business? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time…