The Truth

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

The good thing is...once you have been in the business for a while, you will never have a bad month. Between referrals, website presence, local advertising etc...sales will be there.

 

[xrac]

I have a framed puzzle in my office. Had it there for years.

The puzzle took me hours to work over several weeks but I was determined to finish it.

The finished piece is roughly 2' x 2'. The top 20% or so of the picture has a blue sky and rolling hills leading down to a lake.

The picture is cartoon fashion.

Sitting in a boat in the middle-top of the picture is a fisherman with his line in the water. His body language and expression on his face indicates he has been there a while, hasn't caught a thing, and is totally put out with the entire process.

Beneath the boat is nothing but blue water.

But if you look beyond the ends of the boat on either end, your find the lake is literally packed with fish. Think of a "where's Waldo" scene.

Since the lake takes up about 80% of the picture, what you see is mostly fish of all sizes, shapes and colors, everywhere but where he is fishing.

This picture (and a few others) keep me grounded and remind me that when I am not catching any fish it is probably because I am fishing in the wrong spot, or using the wrong bait.

Wow! Great, great post. Thanks! Of course the lesson to me is don't keep doing the same things in the same places that don't work. Change the location or the bait. Experiment until you figure out what works and then stick with it. One day I was fishing with a friend and he was catching fish and I wasn't. He was using a lure that I had never seen before. I tried everything in my tackle box and nothing worked. He gave me one of his lures and I started catching fish. I was in the right spot at the right time with the wrong bait.

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[warnerins]

Some agents will try prospecting with something completely off the wall and just by chance it worked (once)!! Next thing you know, they are spending all of their time trying to re-capture that magical moment until they are broke.

Heck I once caught a nice sized trout with a plastic kool-aid pitcher (up in the mountains at Jemez indian pueblo). Doesn't mean I added the pitcher to my tackle box.

 

[dave74]

Being new to the forum and a new agent Thanks for that post. I am learning so much from all you pros in here.

 

[xrac]

One night my dad was out bullfrog hunting with a friend. The friend shined the light across the pond and two largemouth bass weighing about two (2) pounds each jumped out of the pound at my dad's feet (that's the truth). Some sales can be like that too!

 

[Mark]

Instead of fishing with a fishing pole, try a net every now and then. Go after a group of fish instead of one fish at a time.

I've done some large groups. Look for those breeding beds on the lake. Where you think a group of fish will be hanging out. Then pull the next out and catch them all.

Example, I had a product that I knew that a group of ATV riders needed. So I went after them with a net, instead of a fishing pole, trying to catch them one at a time. I got infront of them and was allowed to show them my product and show them why they needed it and how important it was to have this coverage.

I've made a ton of money on one group of atv riders.


It does not matter what you are selling, go after the groups of people. Find the niche that the group needs and then go after them.

 

[somarco]

As long as we are talking about fishing . . .

Two guys in a boat. One is catching fish over and over while the other has nary a bite.

The luckless guy asks the catcher what he is doing to catch all those fish.

The answer is in the signs he replies.

Signs? What do you mean?

In the morning when I get out of bed, I look over at my wife. If she is sleeping on her right side, I fish off the right side of the boat. If she is sleeping on her left side, I fish off the left side of the boat.

OK, but what if she is on her back?

I don't go fishing . . . .