Unfortunately, I think this entry will make some of you stop reading. Over the weekend, I was thinking about what motivates people to do what they do. Specifically, I was thinking about why some business owners seek to develop long term sales skills and some don’t and I realized that some of them aren’t thinking long term. Let me explain.

My father was a carpenter. Yes, he wanted to make money, but mostly he wanted to build stuff (small remodels to houses and commercial buildings). You tell him what you wanted, he’d visulaize it and build it. He believed in the product or service that he was providing and enjoyed making people happy by providing it. Made a decent living for his wife and four children. It was his way to change the world.

As you may know, I’ve been a debt collector www.burkinshawlaw.com for a long time. I believe that people (and companies) should pay their debts. I’ve had some of my clients since the beginning. I am absolutely committed to service my clients and intend to keep them forever. Along the way, I realized that a company’s ability to sell clean was directly proportional to it’s ability to serve the long term needs of it’s customers and inversely proportional to it’s ability to get paid by it’s customers. In other words, if you don’t sell clean, you probably won’t get paid. So, I established my alliance with Dave Kurlan at www.salesdevelopmentspecialists.com. It’s my way to change the world.

I know a guy, Paul, who is an IT guru www.laflammeconsulting.com. He’s very good at what he does, has several clients, a couple of employees and intends to keep his clients and employees forever, but expects to attract, obtain and retain many more clients and hire and develop many more employees in the years to come. It’s his way to change the world. Consequently, he keeps himself at the leading edge of his technology. More important to my point, he has committed to develop his sales skills to make sure that he’s never misunderstood. He’s in it for the long haul.

I know several business owners who are building their business to sell it. I don’t mean that derogatorily. They may be doing what they love. They love to have the idea. Do the development. Bring it to market. Sell the business for a guzillion dollars and look around for their next project. The reason to be in business is to come up with a “marketable idea”, accumulate an attractive customer base, and cash out. They are not emotionally involved or committed, long term. Fortunately, many of those who make it, will be very philanthropic. But, is it really the same American Dream that Rockefeller, Disney, Iacocca, or Gates were chasing?

If you think this post was a waste of time, I apologize. If I hurt your feelings, I apologize. It wasn’t my intent, everyone serves a purpose that makes their mark on the world. But, if this helped you realize that you are in a long term chase of the American Dream, and your prospects, customers and/or employees don’t realize it, send me an email. We should talk.