SALES!Blip – Who Is In Your Family?

This story is one of my all time favorites from Debbie Mrazek.

Business people and salespersons across the United States call her a sales coach. Her clients call her a Godsend. Debbie Mrazek is a doer and dynamo who delivers a sales prescription that really works. Whether you’re a novice or knowledge expert in selling products or services, Mrazek’s sales mantra and methods resonate a clear, complete picture for certain success.

Mrazek is founder and president of The Sales Company, a firm that is helping hundreds of entrepreneurs, individuals and large corporations better assess, understand and engage in practical, purposeful selling.

With “Mrazek Energy” (believed to be from another world since it is a constant flow of happiness and enthusiasm), she teaches the tools, techniques and talents every individual possesses, and how to transform those into s-a-l-e-s. Mrazek has counseled, constructed and completed sales programs, workshops, and individual and team coaching across the nation. She’s also a consultant, author and conference facilitator.

When she’s not out helping the world improve their sales, Mrazek enjoys life’s adventures with husband, Tommy, son, daughter – Jason and Jennifer, two beagles Happy and Hailey Mary and wonderfully lazy calico cat, Season.

Now Here it is….

Who Is In Your Family?

A few years ago one of my clients was going home for Thanksgiving to his Grandmother’s house.  To hear him talk he was headed off to something awful!

If you saw him the rest of the time in our business community you would have seen him as someone very professional, engaging, well-mannered and terrific to be around.

How could someone so terrific be from people who are so awful??

This discussion about him going home to his “awful” family went on for four years.

I was just tired of hearing him talk about them in this way and said, “You know, Grandma isn’t going to live forever and I just can’t believe you can be so terrific and they are so awful. This year when you go home why don’t you treat them like the strangers you meet at a business luncheon you go to all year??”

Needless to say he was not thrilled with me as his Sales Coach or friend at that moment.

Fast forward to the Monday after Thanksgiving…

I had a voice mail. What I heard was not someone talking loud but someone SCREAMING on my voice mail.

At first I could not discern the voice and when I did I just started laughing and hit replay on the message.

YES! It was that terrific person who went to the awful family Thanksgiving dinner.:)

What he was SCREAMING was, “MRAZEK, I HATE YOUR GUTS…CALL ME!”

When I called there was no hello, how are you, nothing!:) It was…

“Mrazek who is the #1 COMPANY I have been trying to get into for FOUR YEARS??????”

That was easy…I said, “General Electric!”

He said, “Guess who my Uncle is???”

I could hardly wait…I said, “Who?”

He said, “The PRESIDENT of one of the divisions of GENERAL ELECTRIC!!:)”

I could not hardly contain my laughter but did have to ask just one more question, “How LONG has he been your Uncle?”:)

His response, “FORTY-FIVE YEARS!”

At that moment we both were laughing so hard!!!!!!!!:)

WHO IS IN YOUR FAMILY!!!???:)

Every day you want to grow your business, increase sales, meet companies that you would like to do business with. You search far and wide…who knows, maybe they are going to be seated at YOUR Thanksgiving table…and have been there for YEARS!!:)

When you go to be with your family and friends this week instead of fussing about that they always talk about the same things or just watch football or whatever…why don’t you treat them like you do all the new people that come into your business life all year…like interesting strangers!:)

Ask them questions about what they do, what’s happening in their community, what do they do the other 364 days a year they are not at the Thanksgiving family dinner.

Call me on Monday and let me know who you met!!:)…no screaming please!:)

Wishing each and every one of you a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! We continue to be humbled and honored to know each of you and share this journey!

With deepest gratitude!
Debbie:)