The salesman's match was going along smoothly. Since he was playing a key contact for one of his company's largest accounts, he was holding back just a bit to keep it close. During a break in the action he turns to his prospect and points out his wife through the glass partition that provided a view into the spin class area. Waving to his wife, the salesman said, "There's my wife in the front row, she's the thin one not the fat one."
After a slightly uncomfortable silence, the salesman's prospect replied, "And that would be my wife in the front row, the fat one."
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to succeed in sales they need to stay in great physical shape through exercise. They also know that they need to exercise caution and use tact if you absolutely have to speak about others. Never insult or criticize others behind their back, even if it's just an off-handed remark. You just never know who is listening.
"Business, more than any other occupation, is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight." - Henry R. Luce
