The salesman looked across the aisle to the other customer's table and noticed that he had left most of of his chili.
"Could I have that?" asked the salesman.
"Sure, help yourself," replied the other customer.
The salesman was starving and started to dig in to the chili as soon as the waitress placed put it down on his table. Unfortunately half way down, he discovered a mouse.
"Ugh!" the salesman exclaimed. "I've found a dead mouse in my chili!"
"Yeah, that's about as far as I got too," stated the other customer.
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to succeed at sales you have to make the most of everything you receive. Often, when taking over a territory you will receive second-hand accounts and second-hand opportunities that other sales representatives have already worked on. Rather than just diving in and trying to close business right away, take a step back and review each opportunity for yourself, that is the only way you can make sure that nothing is mousing.
"A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he set out, will have condemned himself to second-hand thoughts and to second-rate friends." - Cyril Connolly
