Today I heard a true story about one of the longest sales cycles ever.  This particular team attempted to reach their target but couldn't get through to the decision maker.  Rejected, they didn't give up,  and they didn't take 'no' for an answer either.  They stayed with it in the face of failure and adversity.  As a matter of fact, this committed team did whatever they had to in order to connect with their targeted decision maker. Finally, they identified a center of inluence who could connect them with their target.  When they finally reached the decision maker they closed him on the first call.  That's right, after all that time, their killer instinct surfaced, they took advantage of their short window of opportunity, and executed a one-call close. Over and done. A $25 million opportunity!  Yes, they finally killed Osama Bin Laden.

If only your salespeople had that kind of commitment and staying power.  If only they were able to somehow get connected to their target prospects.  If only they could close the big ones on the first call.  It's OK to dream big.  It's OK to think about possibilities like this. It's OK to want your salespeople to do more, more quickly, more often, and with more success.  Until your desires become expectations, you won't do anything to change the behaviors that lead to results.

Speaking of "no's", I wrote an article about 4 years ago that was nominated for Article of the Month for May 2011.  There must have been a delayed reaction!  It was called "12 Reasons that People Say No". If you weren't reading my Blog four years ago or don't remember it, you can read that article here.