I closed a couple of pieces of business this week and I’d like to tell you about them.

Sal and I sat over a cup of coffee.  He told me about his youngest and how she’d just graduated nursing school and already got hired by a big NYC hospital for a generous salary.  He was really proud of her and looking forward to going to the Ford dealership that weekend to get her a new Ford Focus.  He talked a bit about Thanksgiving and was really happy that all of his kids made it to his sister in law’s for the holiday but, with over 30 people there, he felt like he didn’t get the time with them he would have liked. He’s thinking it’s time to break off and just do T-Day with his own kids and a couple of friends.  As I was getting ready to leave he asked me to keep an eye out for a good IT manager’s job; he isn’t really happy with his employer, and he said he’d email me his resume.

Maryann and I sat in her office.  It’s a nice quiet space.  I asked about her daughter who I knew was just back from South America.  She speaks fluent Spanish and had been working for a construction contractor in Argentina. She had come home because her depression and anxiety were overwhelming.  She’s always suffered with these maladies but when she took the job, she thought she had it under control.  When her anxiety and panic attacks starting getting worse she shut herself down and suffered something akin to a breakdown.  Maryann worried for weeks and finally flew down there to pick her up.  She’d lost so much weight they considered admitting her to a hospital but they saw the right doctors, got her medication doses corrected and she is doing much better.  She’s still home with Maryann, (It’s been about 12 weeks) but she is steadily improving and hopes to be back in the work world after the New Year.  She asked me if I had a good connection for a recruiter.  I told her I did and would send her a couple of names.

As I left each of them they handed me the signed contracts and I thanked them for the business and put them in my bag.

In an Amazonian world where one can practically point and click to buy a luxury yacht, you’ve got to be more than a vendor.  You’ve got to be well thought of, well liked, and well respected.  You’ve got to be a soft ear and a good resource.  You’ve got to show up when you say you will and do what you said you would.  Salespeople are very replaceable.  Trusted advisers are not.

Own your sales gene…