Cart before the horse

Putting the cart before the horse. An image of new entrepreneurs has come to me in the form of a huge empty wooden cart just waiting to be filled with money and when a prospective client is met, the empty cart gets shoved at the prospect, sometimes knocking them over and leaving wheel marks. The horse, or entrepreneur in this instance, is peaking over top the cart trying to get a glimpse of whether or not the potential client, is willing to help fill up that empty cart, and in desperation, gives it one more hearty shove. Not only has it run over the PC (potential client/prospect), it has run over all the people in its wake, and many are running as fast as they can, to get AWAY from that crazy empty money cart, and the horse that's out of control with all that pushing. 

This leads me to the big questions: What is your business, What is your work? In the natural order, horses pull carts, they don't push them. The horse is symbolic of servant, the empty cart is meant to be filled, and might I suggest the filling is for the client, NOT for the horse? 

First things first, you serve, client benefits, than you get paid. What is your business, your work? Whom do you serve? The monster desperation would have you serve yourself, your own pockets and bank account, I say nay nay, serve the client first and money will fill your cart soon enough. 

No

No and asking for the sale. You don't get if you don't ask and if you are not asking, how come? I read some statistics in a book recently about asking and hearing the response no. The stats are a little dated because they come from Jack Canfield's book The Success Principles, and I am using them for illustration purposes only.

Here they are:  44% of all salespeople quit trying after the first call
                         24% quit after the second call
                         14% quit after the third call
                         12% quit after the fourth call
                         60% OF ALL SALES HAPPEN AFTER THE FOURTH CALL

Perhaps you are a parent and have given the answer no to a child's request, only to discover in dismay that with some pestering, you have said yes, and suddenly you are giving them what you didn't think was a good idea in the first place. The stats above are a representation of the pay off for persistence and tenacity. 

If you aren't asking for a sale, what is stopping you? Fear of rejection? It takes a lot of no's to get to a yes, so we have the no monster covered here if you are willing to ask, ask, ask at least five times. Next is this. Do you believe in your offering? Will what your are selling in product or services benefit the one who pays for it/them? Do YOU spend money on what you are selling? 

I love what I do and I'm not afraid to tell people about it, because I know that when clients part with their money, it is for their benefit, they are the ones that reap the reward for hiring me to serve them. Believe in your offering, ask until you get a yes and tell the money monster no when that's not the answer you are looking for, and keep on asking. 

May you live long and prosper.

Sales

Sales. How do you make your money? If there is an exchange of cash for product, and this is how you get paid, than you are in sales. If there is an exchange of cash for services, and this is how you get paid, then guess what? You are in sales. The whole world works this way and regardless of job title or description, if no one wants what you've got, you won't be able to get some of the coloured paper in your pocket that you want so badly. Which brings me to the ask. How do you know no one wants what you are selling? How can you be confident that the service you provide isn't something people will part with their money to have? Have you asked? How many people have you spoken to and asked if they want what you have to offer? The money monster don't ask suggests that by asking, you are putting yourself and the one you are asking in an awkward and untenable position. Don't ask ensures that yes, an untenable situation is gaurenteed, because if you don't ask, you don't get and neither does the person who could benefit significantly from your product or service or better yet, from knowing someone like you that is reliable and trustworthy that they can refer to friends and family. Consider this: if you don't ask, someone else will and the answer to the question could very well be YES...to the person who took a step in faith and ignored the money monster don't ask. Ask and yea shall receive, keep asking and you have formed a habit and you will get used to the word yes, ringing in your ears.