IT'S EASIER TO GO WITH THE FLOW

by Jeffrey Mayer -  SucceedingInBusiness.com  -  312-944-4184

"As in life, It's easier to go with the flow 
than to fight the river's current." 

Those words of wisdom were spoken by Gabe, our 
whitewater rafting guide as we were blissfully floating 
down the Snake River near Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Mitzi, DeLaine and I were sitting on the edge of a big rubber 
raft - paddles in hand - along with a dozen other adventurers. 

The weather was warm. In the mid 80s. The sky was a 
clear, deep, blue. The little white clouds looked like 
cotton balls as they floated by.

Overhead osprey and eagles soared. On the river's banks scores 
of fly fisherman were casting their lines onto the water 
in the hope of catching tonight's delicious dinner.

But it was the river that always commanded our attention. 

There were swirls - strong enough to flip your raft over - to be 
avoided. There were rocks to go elude. There were floating 
branches and tree limbs to stay clear of.

As we approached our first rapids, Gabe gave the order to 
paddle hard. For by paddling he maintained control, 
guiding us through the rapids.

Gabe's goal was to keep us safe. Not dry. He did 
everything to make sure we were soaked.

Soaked doesn't properly describe the experience. 
Drenched, waterlogged, or engulfed may be better.

For those brave enough, you could ride the BULL. 

Sit on the front of the raft. Put your legs over the side. 
Hold onto a rope for dear life. Stare into the face 
of the rapids. 

That's riding the BULL.

Upon entering the rapids, the front of the raft dips. The 
Bull rider is engulfed - swallowed up - by a wall of water.

This isn't just water. It's 48-degree water. 
It's mountain water. It's cold.

It goes down the front of your shirt. It trickles down 
your back. Your pants are soaked. You freeze. 

The experience is exhilarating. Exciting. 
Breathtaking. Death Defying (Well not exactly.)

Gabe did his best to make sure we all shared the adventure. 
We went over the rapids sideways and backwards.

We floated down the river while turning circles. We floated 
down the river backwards. Everybody got hit in the face, and 
knocked back into the raft, by a wall of water. Nobody was spared.

Then our fellow rafters started jumping - or rather falling 
- into the river. While we were trying to haul them 
back into the raft, they were trying to pull us in. 

After a while you get used to the 48-degree water.

It was very entertaining to watch. 

The raft filled with water each time we went through 
the rapids. Gabe handed me a bucket and asked 
- instructed - me to begin bail it out. 

      CLICK HERE to see a picture of us going over the 
      rapids and pictures of Jackson Hole and the Tetons.

He said that if there was too much water, the raft 
could flip over, and we would all end up in the river. 

We could drown. (Scare tactics work.)

It takes a lot of work to drain an 18 foot raft of hundreds of 
gallons of water while using a five-gallon bucket. The biggest 
challenge was to keep from pouring the water from the bucket 
into your fellow rafter's face - or down his back. 

The screams of agony weren't pretty.

The final set of rapids was ranked as Level 3, 
which gives you a pretty good ride.

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As we approached the rapids the raft accelerated. 
It arches, flexes, bends and bounces. 

The river roars. It's about to swallow another victim.

The Bull rider screams "OH MY GOD!!! 

Without warning, she disappears under the water.

We slide into the rapids and are hit in the 
face with a ten-foot wall of water. 

What is going to happen to us? The adrenalin is flowing. 
We're pumped up with excitement. We hold on for 
dear life. We keep paddling.

And then it's over. We made it.

The rest of the adventure is uneventful. The remaining 
rapids are easy. We're experienced pros.

There are no more challenges to face. 
Life should be this easy.

In Sales, Go With The Flow
"As in life, It's easier to go with the flow 
than to fight the river's current." 

You can go through life trying to fight the river's 
current. Or you can go with the flow.

You can spend your life calling on the same prospect over 
and over - till they buy or they die. Or you can look 
for people who want to do business with you.

It takes a lot of work trying to force square pegs into round 
holes. Life is easier when you're putting round pegs into the 
round holes and the square pegs into square holes.

For many years I wondered why it is that bright and talented 
sales people, and very successful businesses, reach a sales 
plateau and for the most part never grow much beyond it.

One day it dawned on me. They reached a plateau, where 
their business flattened out. Why?

Because they stopped prospecting. 
They stopped looking for new customers.

They had a database filled with hundreds - thousands - of people.
People they called on who never bought. 

They were playing the "Whoever has the most 
people in their database WINS" game.

Their hope was that if they 

   * Called on the prospect long enough 
      they would get an order.
   * Built a 'relationship' they would get an order.
   * Became 'friends' they would get an order.

They were hoping that the current vendor would goof up 
- big time - or the sales rep who had been servicing the 
account would leave. And then they would get the order.

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This sales methodology isn't "going with 
the flow." It's fighting the river.

This isn't selling - finding problems and 
offering solutions - it's scavenging.

Going with the flow is finding a prospect that 

   * Has a need for your product.
   * Wants to do something about it.
   * Can make a decision. and 
   * Has the authority to write a check.

When making a presentation, put away the 
PowerPoint. Keep your catalog in your briefcase.

Pull out a pad of paper. Ask questions and take notes.

Find out as much about your customer's business - and problems 
- as you can. And when you find what appears to be an opening, 
don't shift from asking questions to saying, "We've got something 
that will do exactly what you want." and then start selling.

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Instead, ask more questions. Determine the depth, 
width, height and breadth of the problem.

Then work to discover the economic impact, or financial 
consequences. How much is this problem costing the 
company? What is the dollar value? 

I love people with million dollar problems. Then my 
$100,000 solution is no longer too expensive. 

In sales go with the flow. Search for people who have problems that 
they want to solve, and who want you to help them with the solution.

You'll make more money. Close more sales. 
Have more fun. And won't have to work so hard.

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* * * I booked more than $1,000,000 in new business - with higher
profit margins - since I started working with Jeffrey Mayer. May, June,
and July were the best months we've ever had in our history!
     Pauline Lally, President, Piping Systems, Inc.

* * * Jeffrey Mayer really understands the essentials of running 
a successful and profitable business. He knows how to focus in 
on the key business issues to generate maximum profitability.
     Norman R. Bobins, Chairman, President & CEO
     LaSalle Bank, N.A. Chicago IL

• Do you want to improve your 
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* * * Every month is my best month. Since I began working with 
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     Kim Camarella, President, Kiyonna Klothing, LA

* * * My monthly profits have increased 50 percent since I began 
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     Eric Manting, President, Find IT Corporation

* * * Jeffrey Mayer, is "The Answer Man." He is so totally amazing. 
After our conversations, I always wonder how can we bottle or 
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always gives me creative, insightful advice that actually 
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     Judy Griggs, President, Preferred Machine Tools

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Over the past year I had tried a bunch of things. Nothing worked. 
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* * * I doubled my business in - my biggest year ever - with 
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& stay focused, so I closed the business a lot quicker. 
     Charley Meyer, Managing Director,
     Bush O'Donnell Investment Advisors

* * * Every penny was well spent. With Jeff's help, the sales process 
is no longer a mystery to me. It's become something I look forward 
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     Cheryl Burkhalter, VP, ESII

* * * Jeffrey Mayer has a very broad range of experience. He's helped 
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     Wesley Ley, Vice President & Regional Manager
     Chase Manhattan Corp., Chicago IL

* * * Jeffrey Mayer's techniques are so simple they're brilliant. 
He teaches you the essence and depth of how to find 
worthwhile opportunities, and then shows you how to capture them.
     Steve von Berg, President, Synergy, Rochester NY

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