Late at night, a drunken salesman was on his knees beneath a
street-light, evidently looking for something. A passer-by, being a
good Samaritan, offered to help.
"What is it you have lost?" asked the good Samaritan.
"My watch," replied the drunken salesman. "It fell off when I tripped over the pavement."
The passer-by joined in the search but after a quarter of an hour, there was still no sign of the watch.
"Where exactly did you trip?" asked the passer-by.
"About half a block up the street," replied the drunken salesman.
"Then why are you looking for your watch here if you lost it half a block up the street?"
"Because," exclaimed the drunken salesman, "the light's a lot better here!"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to be successful at sales they need to go beyond the easy. In sales if all you do is stick with the familiar, only fish where you've fished before, sell only install base accounts, or only look where it's light; you may never find what you're looking for. Elusive markets, prospects and niche sales plays are discovered by the bold, who, instead of sticking to well traveled, well lit paths, have the courage to venture into the new. They blaze new trails, discover new markets and sometimes even forge new industries. These entrepreneurial sales professionals far outsell their less adventurous counterparts and their commission checks get lit up as a result.
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
"What is it you have lost?" asked the good Samaritan.
"My watch," replied the drunken salesman. "It fell off when I tripped over the pavement."
The passer-by joined in the search but after a quarter of an hour, there was still no sign of the watch.
"Where exactly did you trip?" asked the passer-by.
"About half a block up the street," replied the drunken salesman.
"Then why are you looking for your watch here if you lost it half a block up the street?"
"Because," exclaimed the drunken salesman, "the light's a lot better here!"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to be successful at sales they need to go beyond the easy. In sales if all you do is stick with the familiar, only fish where you've fished before, sell only install base accounts, or only look where it's light; you may never find what you're looking for. Elusive markets, prospects and niche sales plays are discovered by the bold, who, instead of sticking to well traveled, well lit paths, have the courage to venture into the new. They blaze new trails, discover new markets and sometimes even forge new industries. These entrepreneurial sales professionals far outsell their less adventurous counterparts and their commission checks get lit up as a result.
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
