Dr. Seuss published his first book, The Cat in the Hat,
fifty years ago. It's since become a childhood classic. My mother loved
Dr. Seuss's books from the moment she discovered them. I'm not sure if
it was the simple rhyming schemes or the outlandish drawings that
attracted her most.
I was raised on Horton Hears a Who, Yertle the Turtle and Green Eggs & Ham. When I was sick, my mother used to send my teacher notes that began: "Yesterday my darling Jill, was very, very, very ill." The rhymes went downhill from there.
It was embarrassing. Unfortunately, it was also genetic. I'm sorry to tell you that I've inherited that rhyming gene too. So today's feature sales article - or should I say poem - is a tribute to Dr. Seuss as well as my mother. Enjoy!
The Buyer's Lament
Don't waste my time, please go away.
I will not talk with you today.
You call me up, you want to sell.
But all you do is tell, tell, tell.I do not want to hear your spiel.
I will not play let's make a deal.
So listen up, take my advice.
Discover how you can entice.If you aspire to earn my trust,
Research is an absolute must.
Know my goals, the issues I face.
Use this to build your business case.What have you done for firms like mine?
How have you helped their bottom line?
Can you cut my costs or help me grow?
Now that's the info I want to know.If you can help me solve my plight,
I'm wide open to fresh insight.
I need to find new perspectives
So I can reach my objectives.Want me to remember your name?
Launch an account entry campaign.
Ten contacts is what it may take,
When there's so much business at stake.Just think of this next time you phone
And you'll get past my no-entry zone,
Once you get your foot in the door,
I guarantee you'll sell lots more!~ Jill Konrath, Sales Poet, 2007
Need help dealing with tough buyers? If so, you might want to check out the Getting Into Big Companies self-study program. One 60-minute segment focuses exclusively on how to create strong value propositions while another talks about creating enticing voicemail messages.
Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers get their foot in the door of large corporations, create demand and win profitable contracts. For more articles like this, podcasts & webinars, visit http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com.
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