#1085 You Can Lead a Horse to Water but...

Un Forte Abbraccio to all of the wonderful people I got to see again last week at The Rummel Agency;

The BEST Insurance Agency in Michigan!

I can lead a horse to water, but if I have to make him drink, I'll probably just drown him.

At the Rummel agency this week, I led folks to better communication and better outcomes, and they drank every drop and gave me back gallons of great feedback I will use in other seminars and talks.

The horse-to-water thing sounds harsh, but the analogy resonates with me. Some people are coachable, while some are not.

I recently got a vehicle from a young person named Al. Al was new to selling, and I was delighted to give him one of his first deals. 

He asked what I do, and when he learned that I am a sales and communications expert and speaker, he lit up. He asked me for a copy of my book and my best advice. 

I signed a book for him and told him that whether selling cars, computers, financial products, or jet planes, relationship sellers are the best in the business. I cautioned him against letting the computer send his clients some awkward birthday wishes once a year via email and allowing that to be the extent of his contact.  

I told him to ask questions and take notes; to learn about his customers and keep in relevant touch. 

I explained that making one or two calls a year to see how someone likes the vehicle and mentioning something personal (kid in college, a dog, golf, travel, whatever he learned) with sincere interest would put him lightyears ahead of his competitors. He nodded and smiled and took notes. He shook my hand, thanked me, and told me he would use our little training session to crush his sales career.

It's been 18 months, and I'm still waiting to hear from Al. (See the horse/water analogy above).

 A treadmill won't exercise for you, nor will a good how-to video fix your leaky faucet.

Knowledge without action = bupkis. Intention is important, but action rules the day.

Own Your Sales Gene…