Random Thoughts.....

Today's bee work has been good. Me and the wife have discussed our habit of entering everything balls deep.....
On that note we are projecting north of 800 lbs of product.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Today's bee work has been good. Me and the wife have discussed our habit of entering everything balls deep.....
On that note we are projecting north of 800 lbs of product.
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What's the name y'all package under? Is it in stores locally?
 
skyhighZJ said:
The vast majority of people you know are closer to being a millionaire than Elon Musk…….

Let that sink in for a minute….
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You obviously overestimate the people I know. :laughing:
 
CasterTroy said:
What's the name y'all package under? Is it in stores locally?
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We sold out last year's by word of mouth and one retailer. Advance Country Store. Our label is Johnson Apiaries and Farm.

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The wife mostly handles the media stuff on this topic.
 
I can't stand new salesmen that stop by too often and/or want to be my friend. I don't have time to hang out with the friends I do have, no need to add more folks to the equation. I don't mind someone stopping by every 6-9mos, but dang, some of these younger guys seem to want to come hangout every month or two.
 
awheelterd said:
I can't stand new salesmen that stop by too often and/or want to be my friend. I don't have time to hang out with the friends I do have, no need to add more folks to the equation. I don't mind someone stopping by every 6-9mos, but dang, some of these younger guys seem to want to come hangout every month or two.
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awheelterd said:
I can't stand new salesmen that stop by too often and/or want to be my friend. I don't have time to hang out with the friends I do have, no need to add more folks to the equation. I don't mind someone stopping by every 6-9mos, but dang, some of these younger guys seem to want to come hangout every month or two.
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I hangout with some of my customers weekly 🤷‍♂️

But your sales person should be able to read the room and know when he’s not needed. Or you could just tell him.
 
awheelterd said:
I can't stand new salesmen that stop by too often and/or want to be my friend. I don't have time to hang out with the friends I do have, no need to add more folks to the equation. I don't mind someone stopping by every 6-9mos, but dang, some of these younger guys seem to want to come hangout every month or two.
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Mine get told quick, better bring breakfast or lunch. If not drop off whatever and see ya haha
 
Andy J. said:
I hangout with some of my customers weekly 🤷‍♂️
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Yeah, but you're self aware, intelligent, you listen more than you speak, and are generally fun to be around.

I've got a few vendors that I avoid like the plague. The MAIN reason tends to be because of the lack of one or more of the above qualities. The biggest one being the lack of self awareness. If all they can talk about is themselves and what they've accomplished/seen/experienced and are an overall blowhard, I'll pawn them off on some other engineer and make sure I'm never around or available when they come by. The second biggest turnoff is if they simply can't STFU. There's one vendor that's totally turned me off because his mouth doesn't have an OFF switch. It's one thing to talk a lot...Hell I talk a lot. I mean...A LOT. But I never intentionally talk OVER anyone. Or try and consume all the air in the room so no one has an opportunity to talk. That's rude.
Noel said:
Mine get told quick, better bring breakfast or lunch. If not drop off whatever and see ya haha
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That's usually a given around here, because it's on our personal time and not really wasted company time. I.E. "Lunch and learn" is best because it doesn't take away time from production. We've got to eat anyway, and if you want to use that time to hock a product, then have at it. Most vendors are smart enough to ask in advance what we'd prefer and send us a menu or take us to a cool place to eat. We greatly appreciate that gesture and in turn give them a fair shake.
 
awheelterd said:
I can't stand new salesmen that stop by too often and/or want to be my friend. I don't have time to hang out with the friends I do have, no need to add more folks to the equation. I don't mind someone stopping by every 6-9mos, but dang, some of these younger guys seem to want to come hangout every month or two.
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I will just about guaran-damn-tee he wants to be there even less than you want him there.
What he wants is a paycheck and to get a paycheck he needs you or someone else to buy something.

If he's young he may still be learning. Or he may be dumb.

But I can promise you will make both of you happier by being transparent and honest.
if you are never going to buy because you dont like the color of his product, just say that. He will spend time elsewhere.
If you will buy but your decision is based on price or lead time or or or - say that.
And if you want to see him 4x a year or 2x a year and want an appointment ahead of showing up. Say that.

Then you each have ground rules to assess and evaluate. If he doesnt honor your wishes then you know he probably wont serve you if you give him the order. If you dont follow yours - then he knows he doesnt want your business.

It took me a decade to figure it out but the last ~5 years that I was in outside sales - Id have that conversation meeting 2.
How often to you want to see me? What can I do to encourage you to buy more?
I'd write it down and judge customers based on their adherence to their own stated standards.... but that comes with age and experience. When you go from chasing business to selecting business its a game changer....but you have to earn the reputation to get there.
 
CasterTroy said:
Yeah, but you're self aware, intelligent, you listen more than you speak, and are generally fun to be around.

I've got a few vendors that I avoid like the plague. The MAIN reason tends to be because of the lack of one or more of the above qualities. The biggest one being the lack of self awareness. If all they can talk about is themselves and what they've accomplished/seen/experienced and are an overall blowhard, I'll pawn them off on some other engineer and make sure I'm never around or available when they come by. The second biggest turnoff is if they simply can't STFU. There's one vendor that's totally turned me off because his mouth doesn't have an OFF switch. It's one thing to talk a lot...Hell I talk a lot. I mean...A LOT. But I never intentionally talk OVER anyone. Or try and consume all the air in the room so no one has an opportunity to talk. That's rude.

That's usually a given around here, because it's on our personal time and not really wasted company time. I.E. "Lunch and learn" is best because it doesn't take away time from production. We've got to eat anyway, and if you want to use that time to hock a product, then have at it. Most vendors are smart enough to ask in advance what we'd prefer and send us a menu or take us to a cool place to eat. We greatly appreciate that gesture and in turn give them a fair shake.
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And calling on consulting engineers is a whole other world.
The ONLY time I'm showing up un-announced is first meeting and its last ditch. Ive tried to schedule 3 or 4 times and no reply....I just dropped in because I as driving by and wanted to drop off a card...I know you are too busy to talk but please let me know if I can ever help. And then if they try to strike up a conversation - sorry Ive got another appt, like I Said just saw your office and wanted to drop off a card. Can I set up a lunch next week and discuss more?

Now Ive earned trust - because I didnt take the bait and give you time I said I didnt have. And I have hopefully left you wanting more.... kinda like playing hard to get....

Engineers are a lot like hot girls...they are tired of being chased. They wont really chase you because they dont know how. But if you make them thin they chased and caught you...then you are in

:D
 
Ron said:
I will just about guaran-damn-tee he wants to be there even less than you want him there.
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I can think of few jobs I would ever want less than sales

I have a few salesmen that I really really like. Some I've had dinner with on personal levels with our wives and I've paid for THEIR meal, just to show them I truly appreciate them. And at those meals we discussed our careers in depth. Usually they've been an engineer, or at least went to school for it, so they're very familiar with our work, but are wired differently. I say that because they are comfortable with the possibility of making nothing for months at a time, and then maybe make an amazing sale that they have to put profits away for those months that they make nothing.
I'd be biting my nails. The lack of consistency would drive me insane.

And yes...we've spoken about their disdain for certain firms (and hell, having to deal with certain people in MY firm 🤦🏾‍♂️) and it's challenges. All things that have me saying I'd rather staple my balls to a wooden chair and ride that chair on a train to California in a box car than ever do sales.


Hats off to y'all that do it. I'd be too tempted to tell a MF to consume a FULL satchel of Richards at their earliest convenience
 
CasterTroy said:
I can think of few jobs I would ever want less than sales

I have a few salesmen that I really really like. Some I've had dinner with on personal levels with our wives and I've paid for THEIR meal, just to show them I truly appreciate them. And at those meals we discussed our careers in depth. Usually they've been an engineer, or at least went to school for it, so they're very familiar with our work, but are wired differently. I say that because they are comfortable with the possibility of making nothing for months at a time, and then maybe make an amazing sale that they have to put profits away for those months that they make nothing.
I'd be biting my nails. The lack of consistency would drive me insane.

And yes...we've spoken about their disdain for certain firms (and hell, having to deal with certain people in MY firm 🤦🏾‍♂️) and it's challenges. All things that have me saying I'd rather staple my balls to a wooden chair and ride that chair on a train to California in a box car than ever do sales.


Hats off to y'all that do it. I'd be too tempted to tell a MF to consume a FULL satchel of Richards at their earliest convenience
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If there is one thing that sucks worse than being in sales, its managing sales people.
If there is something that sucks worse than that its managing sales managers.
And the only thing Ive found worse yet is managing up the ladder to CFO/CEOs.
 
Ron said:
If there is one thing that sucks worse than being in sales, its managing sales people.
If there is something that sucks worse than that its managing sales managers.
And the only thing Ive found worse yet is managing up the ladder to CFO/CEOs.
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Can you imagine trying to get @UTfball68 to do anything YOU want him to do 🤣
 
CasterTroy said:
Can you imagine trying to get @UTfball68 to do anything YOU want him to do 🤣
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Pretty easy really...
Hey, look at that 79 F100 Highboy with a quadrapumper dubble tractor puller cam cobrajet. I bet you can't sign these important documents and prove to me that such a thing never existed in less than 5 minutes.
 
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