Harvest is my favorite time of year. It’s a chance for all of us to remember and be grateful for the abundance we enjoy. Even when the year has been a challenge, for whatever reason, you can know that you are blessed.
Ask any farmer, however, and you’ll know that there is no season of harvest…no celebration of abundance…without the work that comes in the spring. The time of harvest does not come without the season of sowing. The hard work and diligence in planting, weeding, pruning, and watering is required. What’s true in the field is equally true on the street.
From plucking fresh sweet tomatoes off the vines in my garden to filling out a big fat deposit slip for my business…I unabashedly love the harvest. We all do. I don’t, however, care as much for the grass stains and calluses on my hands from weeding the garden in 100-degree heat, nor do I like the idea of making 25 cold calls every week. But without a disciplined approach to those behaviors, the season of harvest will be meager.
It’s been said that we live in one of two types of pain: either the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Sometimes, when business is plentiful, we forget about the Season of Sowing. We don’t realize that we’d become lazy in our prospecting efforts. Then we act shocked when there’s no business coming our way, and at the same time, when pressed to recall the last time we had 10 selling appointments booked on our calendar, we can’t remember. Or if someone asked us to recite our cold call script, or challenged us with the last time we made cold calls…all we muster is an empty stare. The temptation is to blame the climate or weather patterns, or even the seed makers…when the real person to blame is ourselves. We’ve forgotten how to sow. Its little wonder there’s no harvest.
I wish your business a bountiful harvest in 2010. I also wish you all the calluses, dirty fingernails, bumps, bruises, frustration, grass stains, and aching knees that it takes to sow.
And if you’re still cultivating with a horse and plow…we need to talk. There is a much more efficient system available.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Tags: Business Development, harvest, prospecting, Sales, ThanksgivingCategories: Business, Business Development, Sales, Success.
Nicely said, Cathy. One of the inspirational authors/speakers I enjoy has a quote that fits with this thought. “If you won’t discipline yourself, then you will invariably be disciplined by your employer or client.” — Gary Ryan Blair
Harvest is my favorite time of year also, Cathy. What an interesting way to look at my own prospecting activities (or lack of). Thanks for prodding me to prospect. I’d be interesting in talking with you to replace my horse and buggy. It’s a bit tired right now. I see your phone number on the blog. I will pick up the phone and call you. Bruce Seidman