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... . A "book" cannot sustain you without growth. Produce (grow) or die. Producers come in a variety of styles, experience and skill sets. Great ones are a gift from God. Lesser ones challenge your faith. In metaphorical terms, each sales opportunity is like a horserace- one winner and many losers. In an agency you have racehorses, workhorses, Shetland ponies, show horses, geldings and thoroughbreds. Unfortunately, production isn't about diversity, appearances or second place. It's about winning. You can't manage racehorses. Just let them run. Your job is to keep them "on track," don't let them kick or bite others (they will kick and bite you), and keep the blinders on them. They like sugar cubes, being groomed and stroked ... Maybes are a waste of time. Test the maybe and force a yes or a no, and then get on down the track. These same "winners" know that you must find the prospect's pain and fix it. They sell benefits to the customer- not features of the product. Once they "stop the pain," they'll offer other help, but never before. They love the race, not the process, so hire someone else to keep the "stable clean." Support them so they can stay on the track. The history and mechanics of production shows that great producers are independent and aggressive. If you've seen one, you know this. If you never have and you hire one, be sure you really want one. They are a challenge. One agency ...

..., each sales opportunity is like a horserace--one winner and many losers. In an agency you have racehorses, workhorses, Shetland ponies, show horses, geldings and thoroughbreds. Unfortu... of your stable because your real racehorses and workhorses will resent them and may underper...

...s five, my dad taught me to ride a horse (or at least he tried). The first day...s. What a way to learn that different horses had different 'Go' commands! To ...

...ce producers and production to racehorses and horse races. Let’s continue with this...deogame magician might create virtual races with folks betting from their La-Z...

... , someone else may get the order. Be sure to come at prospects and customers in a variety of ways that grab attention quickly and powerfully. Extend your territory. Anyone who says, We don't go farther than a half-day's drive' is doomed. The task today is to figure out ways to capture more business, and that means finding how to do it. At one time, the horse defined a market area, then the street car, the car and the airplane. Now the Internet has abolished all parameters. Where you are is not nearly as important as what you are to a customer. Stay on course. We're easily bored today. Perhaps the culprit is information overload. Whatever the cause, the effects are felt in businesses. Everything's short-term, and even short-term gets ... who look alike are alike to customers. The task is to find distinctions that make a difference to your customers, and to stress these in everything you do. Schick, the No. 2 razor company, emphasizes a safe shave, an issue that's particularly important to teen and African-American males, who tend to be prone to nicks, bumps, and ingrown hairs. While Gillette wins the close-shave race, Schick goes after niches where safety is an issue. Use your sales staff effectively. Although salespeople can display primadonna-like behavior and even a certain amount of arrogance, they are right when they complain about much of what they're asked to do. Rather than spending time cultivating prospects, servicing existing customers, and building relationships, they are expected to cold call and locate new prospects. While every ...