One afternoon, a wealthy Vice President of Sales was riding in
the back of his limousine when he saw two men eating grass by the
roadside. He ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate.
"Why are you eating grass?" he asked one man.
"We don't have any money for food," the poor man replied.
"Oh, well, you can come with me to my house," instructed the Vice President of Sales.
"But, sir, I have a wife and two kids with me!"
"Bring them along!" said the Vice President of Sales. He turned to the other man and said, "You come with us, too."
"But, Sir, I have a wife and six kids!" he answered.
"Bring them, as well!" answered the Vice President of Sales, as he headed for his limo.
They all climbed into the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine. Once underway, one of the poor fellows says, "Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you."
The Vice President of Sales replied, "Glad to do it. You'll love my place. The grass there is almost a foot tall!"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to succeed you need to carefully select who you allow to lead. Never underestimate the importance of who you follow. The Vice President of Sales, that you work for, will set the tone and the culture of the sales team you work in. To a great extent, your future success will be capped by the system this individual cultivates. Make sure it's a good one. Make sure that promotions are based on merit and not political alignment. And if you are thinking of working for that company long-term, make sure that your VP of Sales, values a diverse sales team that does not reflect an age, gender or racial bias. Signing up for the wrong sales team is like getting dropped into the middle of a large, tall wheat field. It could be quite some time before you're able to chew your way out.
"Why are you eating grass?" he asked one man.
"We don't have any money for food," the poor man replied.
"Oh, well, you can come with me to my house," instructed the Vice President of Sales.
"But, sir, I have a wife and two kids with me!"
"Bring them along!" said the Vice President of Sales. He turned to the other man and said, "You come with us, too."
"But, Sir, I have a wife and six kids!" he answered.
"Bring them, as well!" answered the Vice President of Sales, as he headed for his limo.
They all climbed into the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine. Once underway, one of the poor fellows says, "Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you."
The Vice President of Sales replied, "Glad to do it. You'll love my place. The grass there is almost a foot tall!"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to succeed you need to carefully select who you allow to lead. Never underestimate the importance of who you follow. The Vice President of Sales, that you work for, will set the tone and the culture of the sales team you work in. To a great extent, your future success will be capped by the system this individual cultivates. Make sure it's a good one. Make sure that promotions are based on merit and not political alignment. And if you are thinking of working for that company long-term, make sure that your VP of Sales, values a diverse sales team that does not reflect an age, gender or racial bias. Signing up for the wrong sales team is like getting dropped into the middle of a large, tall wheat field. It could be quite some time before you're able to chew your way out.
"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life." -Mary Kay Ash
