Top Guns don’t need Bullets



You can always tell the size of the man by the size of the things that upset him.

~J. B. Harris, Jr.   

Knock knock
Who’s there?
The competition.
The competition who?
The competition that knocks you!

Have you ever been in a sales situation where you discover that the competition has been saying unprofessional things about you, your company?  How about fear mongering?   What about out and out lies?  How did you handle it?  Do you call it gorilla tactics like me to incite humour into what appears to be a desperate time calling for desperate measures? 


Unfortunately, it happens far too often.   You are just about to sign a new customer and out of the blue, a bunch of questions are hurled at you.  You sense it is greater than buyer’s remorse and there is an underlying issue at hand.  Do you keep calm, and respond by saying:  “Ms. Customer, I appreciate these questions and will do my best to handle them one by one.  However, I am curious as to what really may be bothering you?”  That’s when it unfolds that your competitor, sensing a loss, is bringing out all the artillery. 

Most customers are intelligent enough to recognize when a competitor is being underhanded and trashing you in a last ditch attempt to save their own sale.  Most will appreciate when you take the high road.  Experience dictates that when competitors start trashing you, it sends alarm bells ringing to your customers.  If you start scrambling and going on the defensive, similarly raises red flags.

When faced with a competitor throwing garbage out at you, stay calm in front of the customer.  Always take the high road and avoid getting tangled up in their web.  Going on the defensive in front of your customer only acknowledges that there may be a grain of truth somewhere in the allegations.  

The biggest underlying cause of this type of behaviour is called complacency.  The competitor was caught off guard, perhaps not as attentive with the customer, kept up with ongoing changes in its business or with the decision maker.   One should never take their customers for granted.  Treat them as your best customer every day, all the time.  That way, when gorilla tactics come into play, the customer will immediately see it for what it is, shoddy fear mongering.   It is their reaction to you being a threat.

The next time a competitor starts waging war.  Shrug it off, pat yourself on the back!  You are doing a GREAT job ....  they have every reason to feel worried.  You won’t stoop to their level now will you?

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.



WARNING: Old Geezers Are Taking Over Social Media

Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter
~Mark Train


As I was going through my e-mail this morning, I came to the realization that I probably should encourage my 76 year-old mother to try Google+ since Facebook bombed miserably (she didn't seem to grasp that the grand kids photos and messages were directed at their friends and not her).


When my son introduced her to the web and e-mail about seven years ago, little did we know he'd created Mrs. Frankenstein.





One thing we failed to realize was what should have been obvious: seniors have more free time on their hands than all of us combined in one day!  I must get at least five e-mails a day, ranging from:
  • Catastrophic warnings to my health
  • The inevitable computer crashers
  • "if you don't forward this, you will have bad luck for the rest of your life"
  • Unite for this cause by signing this petition if you have a conscience
  • "old geezers" sex jokes

Honestly, I didn't even want to imagine my parents doing anything other than cooking my dinner or giving me my allowance when I was young, why would I want to know anything besides words of wisdom or new recipes now?

If I can get my Mom on track with Social Media, starting with Google+ because it's so user friendly, it could mean she'd still be satisfied that she's sharing under the "groove" with her kids and grandkids ... then I can read her posts in my own time and my own head space. 

I love my mom, bless her heart with all her good intentions.   Did I fail to mention English is not her native tongue?  That in itself presents a whole different matter under the umbrella of
“what not to say in an e-mail”. 

The fact is:  “Geezers” are taking over Social Media.  Don’t believe me?  Watch this:








Do your senior parent or grandparent a favor:  show them how it’s done; that way, you can help them navigate the web-sphere.  Like it or not, they’re taking over.   Don’t say I didn’t warn you!  At the very least you should help them to minimize the level of embarrassment they can cause themselves (of course, not you). 

Then again, perhaps I should be content that she’s still in e-mail mode.  At least that way there is still damage control.  Or, most likely, I should call her more often to see how she's doing ... the "old fashioned" way.


Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
~Chili Davis

RRR REcycle REuse REnew


Ok, so I may be switching it up a bit.  After all, I tend to focus on sales tips, with the a couple of sidebars.   Call me behind, or having a gigantic job underway, but I want to touch on one of my other passions – sustainability!

No, I don’t own a pair of Birkenstocks -- not that I knock people that do because I’m one in a million who are not comfortable because of a high arch … many friends would ah hem point out that it’s due to being vertically challenged, I’m accustomed to wearing heals.  Nope, I haven’t chained myself to any great tree … if you don’t count the chain link fence surrounding my yard facing a beautiful pathway to allow people to freely admire my garden as they cycle, walk, jog by.



My mother is coming to visit!  Seriously, I’m not a bad housekeeper (boy, do I miss my nanny/housekeeper) but compared to mom, who was married to my air force father for 54 years gets me cracking!  As we moved from Canada to Europe and back, there was always an inspection of our house because it was rented through the military.  Yes,  they did come in with white gloves.  The only time my mom ever got dinged was while waiting for the inspection she had a coffee (maybe it should have been whisky?) while waiting and it left a ring mark.

Everyone should have a mom like mom come visit so they can clear the clutter and clean.  Beats waiting until you move.  While prepping for the inevitable, I realized that there were quite a few items around my home that signified that I walked the walk, not just talked the talk about sustainability … from a unique angle.  I had a couple to share.

I accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!   I have more jewellery, most of it costume, than a bohemian boutique.  A few years ago, frustrated with always untangling necklaces, never mind being able to match with earring,  I came up with, what I think pretty clever idea (at the time, I thought I could retire by mass producing)  I had this old bulletin board limping from its glory days as a command center for schedules, art work, and “to do” lists.  I painted the wood around the bulletin board (please, don’t drink and draw).  Secondly, I applied leftover wallpaper to the cork board. 

Since cup hooks to neatly hang cups within cupboards were passe’ (yeah right, in your dreams I’d have anyone in my house hang cups when they can throw them in the cupboard – yup, teenagers).  I screwed the cup hooks on to the bulletin board with the wallpaper as my artistic backdrop.  Voila!   I hung up the necklaces with matching earrings looped to them and it formed almost a piece of art.

Now, you are thinking … the loyal readers that are male are tuned out.  Sigh.  Sadness settles in.  I definitely have changed tactics on sales.  Then again,  I’m passionate about coming up with ways that someone like me – a shopaholic in green heels – can do my part by making toss-away items into innovative ideas.

But guys .. this one is for you.  Sort of.  What about bras?   Did you know that bras with padding are great utility items?  Cut around the cups and you now have a silky smooth cleaning buffer!  For your vehicle!  Don’t tell me, someone “else” does the housework?  Come on .. if you can use a bra, you may partake in household chores more often.    If you use those old bras on rings around the bathtub, imagine the other instances your hand could be on a … well, never mind. 

One of my best forms of recycling that I learned from my teenage girls.  Thankfully, they limit their high cost items are their jeans.  In my day (ok, sounds old), we never paid $200 for a pair of jean!  They love excursions to Goodwill or Value Village (in Canada) second hand stores.  At first, I’d let them scour the clothes while I focussed on the book section.  Then, it became a mission.  Can you find the most expensive designer clothes at a fraction, or a fraction of a fraction, of what they’d normally cost?  I love a challenge.  Hooked, you bet!  The best part is I donate to those same stores.  Now, shopaholics, unite, you can say you RECYCLE.

In case Mom reads this.  I do have another tip.  Instead of just tossing the fabric softener into the recycling bin, I like to tip it upside down to drain the last bit of fluid, add a bit of water, then soak the sink wash cloth with the residue.  In my house, if I don’t put it into the laundry, who knows what it smells like!

A relapse from a business sales blog.  Perhaps.  Gotcha thinking?  Double the bonus then!