As a new young financial services rep, I knew I was going to set the industry ablaze by becoming the most successful rep in Chicago. After two years of cold calling for senior brokers, I was ready to take on the task of getting my own accounts.
Imagine my surprise when I reached one of the most prominent bankruptcy attorneys in the city and he agreed to speak to me in person. He explained that his current broker was from the old school of thought and not up to speed on some insurance strategies he'd heard about. This lawyer was looking for someone with some new ideas, and he was very impressed with my direct, aggressive approach. I could hardly believe my luck. This guy was more than a big fish -- he was a whale!
I was fired up for this meeting. This was a career catapult. I spent a whole month's salary on a new suit and briefcase. I arrived early to impress my new client.
As I stood in front of his assistant, however, the cool air on my legs revealed that the zipper on my brand-new suit pants had broken. With my confidence now completely gone, I scrambled to find a safety pin, ending up only with a paper clip borrowed from his amused secretary.
Now flustered, I dropped my briefcase as we shook hands. It burst open, papers flying. The attorney glared at me, then bent to help pick up papers.
He froze as one paper caught his attention -- the one with his name on it. My resume stated that I was managing the insurance program for one of the biggest law firms in the city. He handed me back my resume and suggested that I remove that statement as it certainly would not be the case.
He thanked me for my time and suggested I buy one briefcase for business and another for my personal papers so as not to confuse the two. He walked out of the room and never took another phone call from me.
The moral: Kevin learned that day to never count his prospects before they hatch. Another lesson here parallels the rules of professional baseball: Are you always trying to hit home runs but striking out too much in the effort? The backbone of your business should be built from lots of small and medium-sized clients (singles and doubles, to continue the baseball metaphor). Work hard on generating leads and closing solid business cases. You'll build a safe, secure income that is insulated from one or two major clients whose departure can be disastrous.
Sales from the Dark Side is compiled by speaker and trainer Dan Seidman. For more tales, visit www.salesautopsy.com.
