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Beyond the Face-to-Face
I have long believed that sales was ultimately personal. People wouldn’t buy without at least a modicum of trust. In direct sales, this realization is what builds winners. Without the personal, you get a one-time or a none-time effort. You works so hard that after a while it isn’t worth the effort and you quit. The ones who build relationships continue to grow their base for as long as they sell.
Now for the real question: How do you build a personal relationship with people you never see?
Depending on Strangers
Redesign of a website is an incredibly complex phenomenon. It’s been about three years since our original design was uploaded, and with public preference changes, software changes, and changes in our offerings, it became time to redo. I knew it was going to be complex. I worked on a similar project with AdvoCare, although their scope was 700+ pages and mine is under 10. It is still complex. Designers talk a different language. Web hosts talk a third. (They can understand each other, but I swear it takes a Star Trek translation device). And then there’s me. I know what I want it to do and I know what I want it to look like, but I can only say “that’s not it” rather than “that’s it!” when we have conversations about the redesign. I am stuck just waiting on them to produce something and then seeing if it fits my vision.
The famous quotation came to mind, ”I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” and I went to look it up. This immortal line was uttered by Blanche DuBois, as she was being taken to a mental institution in A Streetcar Named Desire. I completely understood her feelings.
I forced myself to step back and find the brass ring in this situation. Here is my thought. The world will unfold as it is supposed to. If I let the people with talent use their talents, I will end up with what I want. If the redesign is delayed in spots, it probably won’t matter because I will be learning what I need to do next time, and that will make the delays worth it.
Why Brass Rings?
This blog used to be called Idle Musings. I loved the concept—when we have time to reflect on our surroundings and the role we play in the life we lead, then our mind really starts to muse on all those BIG thoughts that are sometimes a bit scary. Muse is also the root word for amuse, which is how I think we need to treat much of our lives.
After a couple of years, I give up. People think of laziness, shallow thinking, or just plain bombasity. I think there are often major truths found in wine, children, and idle musings, but the path to get there is too long.
So now I am writing in a blog called Brass Rings. Brass rings are a wholly American invention. They first appeared on carousels in the 1890’s. An arm would extend and people would reach for the brass rings. The one with the best reach and the quickest hands would get a brass ring—good for a free ride. As Wikipedia describes it, “The brass ring as a term also means striving for the highest prize, or living life to the fullest.”
The brass rings you will find here are the life lessons grabbed while trying to find success in direct sales. Hopefully, they are worth a stretch for you, too.