Sales
are in my blood like fishing and hunting are. I understood the concept of “trade”
at a tender age. I was about five when I took a jar of my mother’s home-canned
green beans to our neighbor’s house to swap for a jar of the sweet golden honey
she harvested from her backyard beehives.
My mother marched me right back but I
prevailed… and kept the honey at our neighbor’s insistence. I would go on to
sell my extra sandwiches in grade school until my mother found out. In my early
teens I sold bags of parched peanuts at city sporting events. Toting a huge
basket, I would toss the bags and catch the coins that came back (sometimes
with a tip!). I loved earning that penny on each bag and just as much, I enjoyed
the feeling that I provided a genuine service to the folks who really wanted
the fresh hot peanuts I promised.
I firmly believe the famous adage “nothing
happens until somebody sells something,” be it a product, a service or an idea.
That philosophy is the engine of the free enterprise system that has made our
country great and a land of opportunity. In 1967 I “sold” the idea of
successful bass fishing, tournaments and conservation to America’s anglers
along with membership in Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S., Bassmaster)
and membership reached over a half million. About 20 years later I sold the
idea of better deer hunting and management through whitetail nutrition products
when I founded the Whitetail Institute of North America. But in my many years
of selling I learned successful sales went far beyond the simple transaction of
money for a product or service.
It’s what happens AFTER the sale. In
my early insurance days I called it “service after the sale” and I credit my
entrepreneurial success to that philosophy. I even wrote a book a number of
years ago, titled “Prospecting and Selling “subtitled “From a Fishing Hole to a
Pot of Gold.” Corny, but it caught some eyes (and following my philosophy, you
can order a copy by calling 1-800-518-7222). I learned early on to have true
and lasting success, a one-time sale doesn’t get it. You’ve got to keep your
customers and clients wanting to come back. I did that with both B.A.S.S. and
the Whitetail Institute. My ventures succeeded not only with top-quality products
but top-quality service. It was top-quality products and our philosophy of
service and the dedication of our consultants that took us to the top of the
deer nutrition industry we pioneered. And it is top-quality products and our
consultants that keep us there. I am obviously proud of our products but
equally so with the experts who talk to our customers every day and explain our
products and how to use them — whether the caller buys or not. And I’m equally
proud of the many loyal hunters and whitetail managers who come back season
after season for both products and information. A longtime customer who returns
to call for a product or advice is our proudest achievement!
