I thought that I would borrow a line from "My Way" that was sung by Frank Sinatra. Many of the lyrics pretty much summed up with many of my thoughts during my Quest for $200K.
It's Tuesday evening and the day after Christmas. Today marked the end of selling days for 2017 for me and the rest of the sales gang at Stratix. The morning ride to the office produced zero traffic, and zero hand gestures that I was number one.
On November 22nd which was the day before Thanksgiving, I set a goal for reaching $200K in sales in for the next twenty-one business days. I'm a firm believer in setting goals for sales people. First start out with smaller goals and then work yourself up to larger goals. When you attain those smaller goals, you then have that feeling of accomplishment. It's the old saying of "one down and two to go". Once you've finished one, you're right up there to complete the next goal, then the next and before you know it you've reached that pinnacle that you aimed for.
"And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and ev'ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way"
From last Wednesday until Friday I was able to close every opportunity that I thought would close. Those opportunities that I had marked fifty percent pretty much stayed true to the percentage that I anointed them . I moved at least $30K of opportunities to January.
There was one opportunity could have put me over the hump. That was the opportunity that I had mentioned for two light production devices. That opportunity came in at a little over $50k. Last week and the week before I wrote about the need for some concessions that I needed in order to close the opportunity. On Friday of last week, I called that account and reached the DM's voice mail. Rather that leaving a voice mail, I opted to send a text wishing the DM a Merry Christmas. While driving home Friday evening I checked my phone lo and behold I had a call from the DM, and just then my battery gave out on my phone. Later that evening I had finally charged my phone, there was no message left for me nor was there a response to my text. Since I didn't have what I needed I was happy with the text that I had sent wishing the DM and family a Merry Christmas.
"Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do , I saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way"
Looking back, I had no additional information to share with the DM. I did not have what I needed and I had used my close card in our last meeting. That close offered that "if we could do these two requests would you place your order right away?" I had the yes from the DM, however I was not able to get what I needed in a timely fashion. Many years ago I wrote about "conditions", for me that means no matter what you do or offer up the outcome is going to be the same. It's just something that you can't change when you want it to change. Yeah I know, sounds kinda crazy, but what's not crazy about the world that we live in?
"Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
And through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way"
I text'd that DM today, offered to meet some time this week for lunch. I just checked my phone and there hasn't been a reply yet. Hey, it's the day after Christmas, and I'm understand that many took the day off today.
Where did I finish?
Well, I can tell you that it's another year of not hitting the goal that I wanted. With the $20K that I had banked right before Thanksgiving, I was able to bank another $78K. Well short of my Quest for $200K. Device count was about 14 and I believe I wrote eight orders for the $78k.
"I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"
Looking on the brighter side, I still have the opportunity for the two light production devices for $50K, another opportunity for $70K and the roll overs for another $30K for January. So, maybe, just maybe January won't be one of my worst months of the year.
"For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
The right to say the things he feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!"
-=Good Selling=-
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