The I-35 of Sales

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I despise traffic with a fiery passion. Living in the Dallas area, though, I have to deal with it on a regular basis. Every time I go out of town, particular somewhere that doesn’t have such gruesome driving conditions, my first words when I get back are usually, “I missed home but I didn’t miss Dallas traffic.” Highways scream with honking horns as people slam on their brakes, push their way into neighboring lanes, and refuse to move while they’re busy texting (which is illegal in Dallas, by the way). Drivers swerve haphazardly across three lanes of traffic as they realize they are about to miss their exit. Giving no regard to others on the road, the people here constantly talk about how terrible Dallas drivers are. Even the bad drivers complain about it!

Of course, construction on most of the major highways doesn’t help matters. There’s a joke that Interstate Highway 35 will be under construction until the end of time. However, seeing as it’s been under construction more often than not since it was built in 1956, it doesn’t feel like that far of a stretch to say that the “improvements” will be never-ending. 

Particularly for those who are not naturally gifted in sales, the task of meeting those numbers can often feel like being stuck on a four-lane highway in a major city. Everyone seems angry and in a hurry. People are willing to shove others onto the shoulder just to get to their destinations faster. And it’s a long, awful process just to get from Point A to Point B. No matter how smoothly you want the ride to go, you can’t seem to get other salespeople – or drivers – on the same page, so you just have to make the best of it. You fight with obstacles along the way, such as potential customers not responding, other salespeople trying to push their way through, and changes of plans from management. 

Sometimes, all you can do is try to make the best of it. Be flexible in your sales tactics, be willing to communicate in a way that works best for your customer, and have a back up plan ready. Prepare your route and know an alternate (hopefully less congested) way to get there. Take a deep breath, turn up the music, and get ready for the ride. It may take longer than you want but arriving at your destination is a much anticipated light at the end of the tunnel.

AJ Jewell

AJ Jewell

Amber "AJ" Jewell started at BigPromotions.net in 2016 as a part-time admin assistant, quickly moving to be the 'Duchess of Flow" - making sure that the office is flowing smoothing. AJ is also an award-nominated author, homeschooling parent of three, an avid reader, and a college student.
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