| Last night some friends of mine were at the race | | | | only place in town which had one. It happened to |
| car shop getting the car ready for our last race | | | | be a house of ill repute and pretty soon, she was |
| this season at Thompson Speedway. My cell | | | | hooking. So now he had made a choice to be |
| phone rang. The newspaper telemarketer at the | | | | more effective, forth coming and he was ready |
| other end of the line started off by telling me | | | | to take action. |
| about a contest he was in to sell the most | | | | Wally went on to be the top car salesman, it took |
| subscriptions. Then he went on to tell me about | | | | a while, but he did it. When he had his second |
| the half-price special. By now, he had spoken a | | | | daughter he called me up to tell me the good |
| paragraph without a breath. Feeling that my | | | | news and he said, second to marrying his wife, |
| friends might enjoy listening to someone who | | | | the best decision he ever made was to get out |
| doesn't seem to need oxygen, I put him on the | | | | of the house of ill repute of selling and learn how |
| speaker for the Race Team to hear his pitch. He | | | | to work smart, have a systematic approach to |
| went on and on, at one point I interrupted just to | | | | selling and be straight with prospects - all instead |
| make sure that he wasn't a recorded voice and | | | | of working so hard. Now he was reaping the |
| he did respond asking me to let him finish and | | | | benefits of that, from both a financial and |
| then he'll answer all my questions. Meanwhile, the | | | | personal perspective. |
| guys are just smiling and holding back laughter - | | | | My brother Dan, after a misspent youth, quit |
| some of them happen to be top sales people in | | | | North Adams State College and joined the Army. |
| their industries. So, many of this telemarketer's | | | | As a temporary Drill Sergeant, he once got cited |
| weaknesses were obvious to them. | | | | by a Colonel for calling obscene cadence. Then |
| Finally, one of them couldn't take it anymore and | | | | they found out through testing that he was a |
| yelled out, "My pig, it's biting my ankle - I gotta | | | | genius. He ended up in Army Intelligence in the |
| go". We all started laughing and the Telemarketer | | | | White House Communications Agency after some |
| hung up. It takes courage, guts and resiliency to | | | | months of training. He traveled the world in Air |
| be a telemarketer and to be in any kind of sales. | | | | Force Two. He learned a lot, committed to |
| In fact, I think it's a very noble profession. But | | | | self-improvement and now owns a successful |
| there is no nobility in making that kind of a cold | | | | manufacturing company in Framingham. Again, he |
| call. He kind of reminded of a car salesman who | | | | got training on how to run a company and how to |
| enrolled years ago in one of our on-going courses | | | | sell. He made a choice to change and stuck to it. |
| for individuals. | | | | People can sense your commitment, desire and |
| This car salesman was referred to me by the | | | | excellence or lack of it. Sales is a profession for |
| dealership's leasing manager, Ron, a client, who | | | | those that like to make money, want personal |
| was doing extremely well. So, this individual, whom | | | | development and like helping people. It's not a |
| I'll call Wally, so as to not embarrass anyone, | | | | selfish profession, but you do have to focus on |
| came to me through an introduction and out of | | | | self development in order to be the best. |
| frustration. Wally was frustrated that he had been | | | | When's the last time you tested and challenged |
| selling cars for two years and was not making a | | | | yourself to be better in sales than you are right |
| lot more than his meager draw. Wally told me | | | | now? It sure beats getting cited by your boss, |
| that he couldn't figure out how to sell without | | | | the people that love you or yourself and it sure |
| lying, hard selling, and "blowing smoke". He said he | | | | beats your prospect telling you that his pig is |
| felt like a girl who had been brought up in a | | | | biting his ankle and he's gotta go! |
| puritan environment, who rented a room at the | | | | |