Sales Joke of the Day (January 18) The Dinner Invite.

A salesman was invited to a dinner party being held by one of his co-workers.  During the meal, the four year old daughter of one of his co-workers was staring at him unceasingly.  In fact she was staring at him so hard she could hardly eat her food.


The salesman checked his tie, felt his face for food, patted his hair in place, and a myriad assortment of other things, but nothing he did, could stop the four year old girl from staring at him.  Finally the salesman's patience was exhausted.  


"Why are you staring at me?" asked the salesman.


Everyone else at the table had noticed the young girl's focus on the salesman, and all went quiet to hear her response.


The little girl replied, "I just want to see how you drink like a fish."


Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that in order to succeed in sales you need to have a good reputation.  If your reputation isn't a good one, it will not only precede you, it will cost you sales.


"You can't buy a good reputation; you must earn it."     -  Harvey Mackay

Sales Joke of the Day (December 28) The Dinner Party.

The sales team decided to get together for dinner at a fancy restaurant over the holidays.  Somehow, as they were waiting for their orders to arrive at their festively decorated table, the conversation turned into a heated discussion about whether men or women were more trustworthy.


The senior salesman on staff was particularly outspoken, insisting that:  "No woman can keep a secret."


"That's not true at all," said the very attractive saleswoman sitting directly opposite the salesman.  "I've kept my age a secret since I was twenty-one."


"You'll let it slip someday," replied the senior salesman.


"No way!" exclaimed the saleswoman.  "When a woman has kept a secret for twenty-six years, she can keep it forever!"


Moral of the story.    True sales professionals know that in order to successful in sales, secrets are the last thing you want to be keeping from your customers and prospects.   Full transparency is the best currency to use with people you do business.   No surprises leads to personal credibility over time.   Gathering secrets and keeping them within a tight-knit group, isn't building up an asset of value, instead, it's creating a huge liability.   A liability that when exposed could damage reputations and cost the enterprise dearly.


"I believe fundamental honesty is the keystone of business."      -  Harvey Firestone

Sales Joke of the Day (July 29) The Dinner Party

A salesman hosted a dinner party for people from work, including his boss.  All during the sit-down dinner, the salesman's three year old girl stared at her father's boss sitting across from her.  The cute little girl could hardly eat her food from staring.

The salesman's boss, checked his tie, felt his face for food, patted his hair in place, but nothing he did could stop the little girl from staring at him.  The sales manager tried his best to just ignore her but, finally it was too much for him.  He asked the salesman's daughter, "Why are you staring at me?"

Everyone at the table had noticed her behavior and the table went quiet for her response.

The salesman's little girl replied, "My Daddy said you drink like a fish and I don't want to miss it!"

Moral of the story.   True sales professionals know better than to mix work with the home front.  Especially when kids are involved.  Kids tend to tell the truth regardless of consequences.  Exposing your young ones to the duplicity of the work environment could scar them for life and stunt their social development.  If you feel you must entertain your work colleagues, do so at a restaurant.  No good can come from your co-workers finding out how you really live outside of nine to five.

"And I'm not apolitical - I'm very specific in my politics. But a lot of the time it's nobody's business unless you're over at my house having dinner."               -         Tom Hanks