1-Always have been a salesman, tried very hard to deny it but it always came back to sales. You see I’ve learned the only profitable action in any business is sales. The rest, very likely are support functions.
2-It was some time in my late twenties I think. Yet another struggle, working for someone else in complete denial of my true entrepreneurial calling that later in life I embraced. Selling copy machines this time, business to business. I have never been thrown out of so many businesses in my life. I would show up with my sales books in hand dress for success with my best suit and tie and promptly asked to leave.
3-It was a bit, depressing to say the least. Then one day as I was being shown the door a little guy dressed in overalls with a tool box shows up. “I’m here to clean your copy machine he promptly announced.” “Where is it?” The attractive young lady that just shunned me politely greeted this guy with a smile and walked him over to the copy machine.
4-As I was picking myself up off the sidewalk and dusting off my thousand dollar suit, I got an idea.
5-I went home and pulled out an old pair of over alls. Put some tools and rags in a tool box and headed back out to go business to business selling copiers.
6-I went back to the first business I had approached in the morning of this same day. Walked in announced I was here to clean the copy machine and where is it? The same thing happened to me as I observed with the other guy earlier. I was warmly welcomed and offered a cup of coffee and an introduction to their bank of copy machines.
7-As I was playing this buy ear I had no idea what to do with cleaning the copy machine. So I sprayed some Windex on it and took a rag out and started rubbing away. They had twelve copy machines and they all were pretty dirty.
8-I was cleaning for about thirty minutes and the owner of the company walks up to me and ask my opinion of his copy machines. I got to tell you I about dropped my Windex bottle. I cold called a business twice once as a suited salesman and the second time as a repair janitor. The repair man got right to the products and straight to the decision maker. Gee I thought, they write books about this stuff. So not really having an opinion I said, “Well, what do you think?” That is all it took. This guy went into a very long drawn out story on how much this machine cost and how they don’t do the job right and what a waste of time and money.
9-I sold five copy machines that day. By optimizing my efforts in a very natural way.
10-I guess the moral of this true story is to think outside the box. Separate yourself from those that are doing the same thing. Why would you drink from the same pond as others if you truly want fresh water? By giving others what they need in return you get what you need. It sounds corny perhaps. Until you stumble upon a real life situation like I did. Where it actually teaches you how true and simple it is.
Now, I’m not sure if you can relate to this story or not. But if you can then the words are not wasted. For now I truly wish you good will. Regards, Rick Shoop
