A salesman for a national news network was assigned to close an
account on the other coast of the United States. But he had to get there
quick to seal the deal in person and get them to sign on the line that
was dotted before a competing network swooped in and grabbed his ad
revenue for the quarter. So he frantically called his sales manager to
get his approval to hire a plane. "For a sales as large as that, that
will make my number for the quarter too! Not only will I approve it
I'll arrange a private jet. Get to the airport and it will be
waiting there for you!"
As soon as the salesman got to the small, rural airport, sure enough, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his briefcase, notebook, presentation and contracts and yelled, "Let's go! Let's go!"
The pilot swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air. "How soon until you land us in New York?" asked the salesman.
"Why?" asked the pilot.
"Because I've got a deal to close before midnight!" said the salesman with great exasperation.
After a long pause the pilot gulped and said, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that really big deals generally close themselves, and they are rarely a last minute, fly by the seat of your pants type proposition. Towards the end of the quarter a lot of air miles get built up needlessly as reps with little prep try to bag the big elephant. Let others chase their long shot rainbows and fly from coast to coast, boasting about the number of miles they've flown on behalf of the company. Real road warriors know that bragging about miles is pointless futile exercise. Real revenue dollars are the only currency professionals worry about. Results are the only thing that gets rewarded. Effort hasn't counted since your elementary school report card.
"Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you're aboard, there is nothing you can do." - Golda Meir
As soon as the salesman got to the small, rural airport, sure enough, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his briefcase, notebook, presentation and contracts and yelled, "Let's go! Let's go!"
The pilot swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air. "How soon until you land us in New York?" asked the salesman.
"Why?" asked the pilot.
"Because I've got a deal to close before midnight!" said the salesman with great exasperation.
After a long pause the pilot gulped and said, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that really big deals generally close themselves, and they are rarely a last minute, fly by the seat of your pants type proposition. Towards the end of the quarter a lot of air miles get built up needlessly as reps with little prep try to bag the big elephant. Let others chase their long shot rainbows and fly from coast to coast, boasting about the number of miles they've flown on behalf of the company. Real road warriors know that bragging about miles is pointless futile exercise. Real revenue dollars are the only currency professionals worry about. Results are the only thing that gets rewarded. Effort hasn't counted since your elementary school report card.
"Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you're aboard, there is nothing you can do." - Golda Meir
