Falling

One Wednesday morning, a salesman arrived late with one eye swollen shut, his left arm in a sling, and his clothes in tatters."It's 10:00," pointed out the sales manager, "and you were supposed to be here by 9:00."The salesman explained, "I fell out of a tenth story window." The sales manager snorted and remarked, "And what, it took you a whole hour to land?"
Moral of the story.  True sales professionals know that sales is a tough racket.   You can't let little things get you down.   No matter what, full speed ahead. 
"The future is something everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, who ever he is." -  C.S. Lewis
"Let him who would enjoy a great future waste none of his present."        -       Roger Babson

Merry Christmas!

 
All of us during this past year have had some difficulty with a carrier or a customer or even a friend or co-worker.  Let me suggest to you that you take it upon yourself to reach out to that person (or maybe those persons lol) here at Christmastime and extend them wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (bag the Happy Holiday deal, as it is Christmas.... like it or not).  No strings attached. No ulterior motive.  Nothing but a simple wish of happiness from you to them.  Then forget about it because you have sewn the seed and it is God's business to take it from there.

     “There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,' returned the nephew. 'Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

God Bless Us Everyone.  Merry Christmas

Half-Truths

One day a young salesman burst into his parents house and said, "Mom!  Dad! I have great news!  I'm getting married to the greatest girl in the world!  Florence has agreed to marry me."

But that night the young salesman's dad took him aside for a little chat.  "I have some bad news for you son," he confessed.  "See, I used to fool around a lot, and Florence is actually your half-sister.  I'm afraid you can't marry her."

The young salesman was brokenhearted, and moped around for a good six months, but eventually he started dating again.  And a year or so later he came home with glad tidings.  "Vickie said yes! We're getting married on Christmas Eve. Isn't that great?"

Alas, the young salesman's father insisted on another private conversation and again broke the bad news to his son.  "Vickie's your half-sister, too, son.  I'm awfully sorry."

This time the young salesman was beside himself with anger and grief, and he finally pleaded with his mother.  "At this rate I'm never going to get married," he moaned.  "Every time I fall in love, Dad says the girl is my half-sister."

"Don't pay any attention to him," said the young salesman's mother, cheerfully.  "You see, I did some fooling around myself, and he's not your father!"

Moral of the story.   True sales professionals know never to use half-truths.   Once you put them out there, they always come home to haunt you .  And you can't expect others to take responsibility for them.    Just like half-sisters or half-brothers, everyone feels awkward around half-truths.

"A lie can travel half-way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."     -     Charles Spurgeon


Wishing you a very faithful Merry Christmas,

Twenty

I read a great article today about 20 minutes.  You know I have always believed from personal experience that ones ability to concentrate and retain information is limited to about 20 minutes per session.  Take a break and then come back for another 20 has what has always worked best for me.  Today, I heard that same 20 minutes discussed relative to doing things necessary for your sales success.  Sales people hate prospecting for new business but we all know it is necessary for success.  You have to have that funnel full at all times and they way you do that is to find potentially new customers and you cannot do that without some form of prospecting.  It was suggested that you do this unpleasant task for only 20 minutes per day.  Just 20, no more no less.  So you know when the 20 is up you are done for the day.  Human nature dictates that if you have a success in one of those 20 minute sessions you might find it easy to say do it for 25 minutes and then maybe 30............
Why don't you give this a try on anything you know in your heart is good for you but you do not like doing.  Exercising would be one for me and I intend to try it. Prospecting might be one for all of us to try for 20 minutes.
Why don't you start that right now.  No New Year's resolutions.  Start doing it NOW!!
Start it with the shippers and consignees of your existing customers.  That is the best way.  You can also start it on LinkedIn by search for companies and people within them who are engaged in shipping the kind of commodity in which you have expertise.
20 minutes!!  That is all you should be asking yourself to do.
Try it!

Sales Joke and Moral

A salesman was suffering from constipation, so his doctor prescribed suppositories.

A week later the salesman was back at the doctor's complaining that his constipation had gotten worse, not better.

The doctor asked, "Have you been taking the suppositories regularly?"

"What do you think I've been doing Doc," replied the salesman, "shoving them up my "butt" or something?"

Moral of the story.   True sales professionals know that sometimes we get in our own way.  We get used to certain routines and ways of doing things that we become set in our ways and reject any form of change.  True sales professionals understand that a refusal to learn is a refusal to earn.  They know that while constipation can plug you up, constipation of your mind can ruin your career. 

"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."   -    John Calvin

Christmas in the Military

FLAGS WILL BE FLOWN AT HALF STAFF TOMORROW TO COMMEMORATE PEARL HARBOR DAY

This Christmas season, may we remember the men and women who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so much to defend the freedoms of this great nation.

Throughout our nation's history, American military members have forfeited celebrating Christmas to defend their families and their homes. In fact, in 1776, the American troops took advantage of the Hessians' Christmas celebration to cross the Delaware River and attack the surprised Hessian troops, providing America with a badly needed victory.

165 years later, American soldiers were once again forced to defend their families and their country on Christmas Day. On December 7, 1941, the “date which will live in infamy,” Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, effectively declaring war on America. As December 7^th approaches, remember Pearl Harbor and those who lost their lives, as well as those who continued to fight for our freedom - the men whose stories still inspire us decades later.

As this Christmas season begins, let us take time to reflect on and thank God for the greatest sacrifice given by the Savior of the world, and to also remember to thank the men and women in uniform today who continue to sacrifice and put their lives on the line for this great nation. Reach out to those veterans and servicemen and women around you and take time to share the love of God. Here are some simple ways you can be “salt and light" to those who have willingly sacrificed so much to defend America:

• Contact a local nursing home to “Adopt a Veteran” who may not have any family this Christmas
• Find other ways to help our Veterans throughout the year (Wounded Warrior Project, Kingdom Warriors, Face the Fire, Operation Gratitude, Disabled American Veterans, etc.)
• Pray for our troops and their families
• Send a care package to those overseas or help out their family back home
• Continue to find ways to help the troops and their families throughout the year
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• From Wallbuilders  "Christmas in The Military"