Salt Lake City Bookkeeping Blog

Business Sales Lessons from the Trout Stream

I hooked a HUGE rainbow the other night.  After an excellent fight that lasted several minutes the fish broke my fly off.  It was an incredibly difficult day of fishing; in fact that was the only fish that came to my fly all day.  It was a bad day and it got me down a bit.  As I walked home I related the day of fishing to the sales process and realized why I may have lost the fish.

The prospect got in my head and took control

Immediately after I saw the fish take my fly my first thought was "that is a huge fish and I want it."  However, the fish immediately took control and got downstream and negative thoughts entered my head; "I'm going to lose him."  With those thoughts in my head the fish had already won.  Lesson learned: don't fear rejection or losing a sale, it is going to happen and is part of the process.

I let the missed sale affect my sales process

After I lost the fish all I could think about was the missed opportunity.  I continued to fish but it is doubtful my mind or heart was in it and there was little surprise that I didn't get another take all day.  Lesson learned: don't let a missed sale affect your sales techniques. 

You haven't closed until the check clears the bank

I let my guard down because of the size of the fish; he owned me from the beginning.  The hardest part was done my prospect said "yes I want that."  Done deal right?  Not really because I stumbled in the closing process and he got away.  Lesson learned:  the sale is never final until the money is in the bank or the fish is in the net.

I have always thought good salesman would make excellent fisherman.  Fishing helps me to sell better and selling helps me to fish better.  The only thing I know for certain is that you will not catch anything without your fly on the water.