Early in my sales career, I was trained to make cold calls to corporate executives by phone. One day, fresh out of the training program and raring to go with my newly acquired techniques, I got ahold of Jonas Mayer of the American Linen Company.
Conversation #1
He sounded old to me, which at the time meant he was over 45. I started into my spiel, leading to the big question, “May I please come see you?”
“No!” he said. “And by the way,” he continued, “that was the most canned phone script I’ve ever heard!”
“Oh, well, thanks for the feedback,” I mumbled. We said our goodbyes, and that was that. I filed away the 4×6 index card that contained his contact info and my notes.
Conversation #2
His card popped up in my “tickler file” box three months later. I had been trained to persist, and I believed that if, as a salesperson, I didn’t turn some people off, I wouldn’t turn any on. As I thought about Jonas, I remembered precisely what he’d told me about my phone presentation.
Oh well, here goes nothin’! I dialed. He answered.
After I reminded him we had spoken, I said, “Jonas, may I ask a quick question: how long have you been in sales?”
“More than 30 years!” he said gruffly. I figured as much.
“I know you’re the vice president of sales now. May I ask if you began your career in sales?”
“Yes, I did,” he answered. I could hear his tough facade coming down.
“When you started selling, Jonas, how many sales did you make in your first 30 days?”
“I probably didn’t make any,” he responded. “I was pretty green. Why?”
“Well, Jonas, in my first month, I didn’t make any either—and you’re one of them!”
He laughed heartily, and I saw my opening, so I asked again for permission to visit him. This time, he said, “Sure, come on over. I’d love to meet you.”
Risk = Pain = Rewards
It was a risk, but I’d never have gotten the face-to-face sales call without it. What was the risk? Pain—the pain of rejection, looking foolish, embarrassment, and failure.
That day, to be honest, I purposely sought discomfort. Discomfort, of course, is the opposite of comfort and what we need to pursue to learn, grow, and change. It often means consciously asking the QBQ (an accountable question—tutorial here), “How can I today put myself in uncomfortable surroundings and take uncomfortable actions?”
We’ve all heard the sayings, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and “No pain, no gain.” They both speak well of the value of experiencing discomfort. Consider the risk birds take learning to fly, taking that first jump out of the nest. The action literally means life or death. Without that first leap, though, birds would hardly be birds at all. Similarly, if we don’t take risks, we will never become the people we’re meant to be.
What risk will you take today to fly higher in life?
2 Responses
John – I love this post. Often, I have to push myself to talk to the stranger in line at the coffee shop. Sometimes I get that “get away from me” look but most times I am greeted with a warm smile and a few minutes of a kind sharing of our space together. The key is to overcome the risk of rejection by allowing the positive power of kindness to outweigh the negative. Bruce.
Thanks, Bruce! Yes, it can be hard to speak to strangers – and then easy for some of us wild and crazy extroverts. 🙂