Sales Tip of the week from Mike Leeds- Pro Sales Coaching
What Sales People Can Learn From Freeway Construction
I respect that a lot of education, training and thought goes into designing and engineering freeways. However, this topic is coming from the frustrated commuter inside of me.
My issue... Why is a freeway built with 8 lanes, when everyone knows it's not enough to handle the traffic? The land is available, the zoning is approved - so what's the deal? I know it's probably budgets - but remember, I'm speaking as a commuter.
Then, a few years after the freeway opens - they put up barricades, reduce the traffic lanes and reduce the speed limit while they build more lanes. Even better, they need to widen overpasses/bridges (which is a real mess, and appears to be a major construction project). Okay, so lane expansion is one thing, but how about at least originally building an overpass for 12 lanes (thinking you may need it in the future). The freeway can still start at 8 traffic lanes, but it's easier to complete the expansion construction later. Adding lanes is a project, but the whole overpass/bridge thing is much more involved.
In sales, organizations should always be keeping an eye on what's ahead, as well as what's in front of them. Does the company have the capacity to handle future business? You don't want to overbuild your business, but you want to make sure the business is scalable and you have expansion plans in place to accommodate customer need.
One of my favorite sayings is that no matter how successful you are today, it does not guarantee how successful you will be tomorrow. I also like the quote from one of my favorite movies Field of Dreams - "if you build it, they will come."
Plan ahead, and make sure the infrastructure is in place for the short term, as well as long term future.
Happy Selling!