We Hear It, But Don't Believe It

Just Add Water

There are some people who are blessed with the ability to say things that are not only pithy but that also embody universal truths. One of the best of these aphorists was Winston Churchill. Sir Winston once said, "You can always trust the Americans. In the end they will do the right thing, after they have eliminated all the other possibilities".

Now, I don't know if Churchill had any special insight into the character of Americans, or if our citizens were used merely as foils to espouse an observed general truth about all people. But there is no denying that he was on to something. It seems that there is neither expense that we'll forego nor pain that we'll forswear in pursuit of the quick fix. Witness the endless parade of new diets trotted out and touted on television talk shows, none of which would be half as effective as walking on a treadmill while watching Oprah present everyone in the audience with new jogging shorts. An hour of exercise a day is all it would take and, heck, the viewers obviously have the hour. The problem is that most people don't get much exercise while lying on the couch eating ice cream.

Yes, the vast majority of us are willing to spend all kinds of time and money listening to other people tell us how to do things the easy way rather than just doing that which we already know must work. We'll suffer through embarrassingly stilted conversations, sup on hotel chicken and endure mind-numbingly inane speeches by people who are clearly impressed (without justification) with themselves at networking events in hopes of meeting important prospects rather than picking up the phone and calling them directly.

Nowhere is the quick-fix mentality more apparent than in the average business owner's quest to find and hire good salespeople. Most will hire several every year, year after year, at a cost of at least $100k apiece and end up with no sales force to show for the expense and effort. Most of these "salespeople" will sell little or nothing. They'll hang around for a while, sucking up resources and running up lost opportunity costs, before they move on. At the end of the day the owner is still the one who brings in the lion's share (if not all) of sales.

Suggest to these owners that being more discriminate in their hiring by setting up testing and interviewing practices that will ferret out and reject inappropriate candidates and establishing a structure of management and accountability that will keep their people on track and they'll tell you that they don't have time or money for that, they just need someone who will bring in sales now.

I saw in the supermarket pre-prepared microwavable gourmet meals. They also had all kinds of natural fruit beverages - just add water. Shouldn't these products be found n the Oxymoronic Aisle?

I saw a police car stuck in the mud on the interstate median.

There are often multiple ways to get from here to there. Sequentially trying each, starting with the seemingly cheapest, quickest or easiest will, indeed, reveal to you the right way...if it doesn't put you out of business first.

Mark Fitzgerald, Sales Training Institute, Inc., Tampa, Florida provides this column weekly. Mr. Fitzgerald provides both group and customized sales training for professionals and companies. For more information, please contact him by telephone at 813-831-5555 via email at mark@saleskills.com or visit www.saleskills.com. © Copyright Mark Fitzgerald, 2009, All Rights Reserved.