We’re working with a new customer who has brought up a topic which merits discussion. His contention is that he needs a salesperson who is a strong closer since their company competes in a somewhat commoditized market space. A fair conclusion.

But a wrong one.

Closing is the eventual outcome of a selling system but it is not the most critical phase. Qualifying is the stage at which most deals are won or lost. In fact, here is a bit of a shocker – qualified deals close themselves. It’s true. If a salesperson can qualify a prospective deal effectively, they can navigate to a successful close.

Salespeople who only know how to “close” are better suited for working in the holiday kiosks at the local mall. They can quickly jump passerbys and attempt to close them whether the passerby has a need or not. These types of salespeople subscribe to the approach that when all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail.

A salesperson who qualifies an opportunity will determine the prospect’s needs or pains, their budget to fix this pain and their time frame for making the pain go away. These are the pieces of the puzzle that lead to a successfully closed deal. This skill set is far more valuable in comparison to a salesperson who attempts to close any opportunity whether worthwhile or wasteful.

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Millions of vacation days go unused caught my eye this morning. A week before Christmas is a good time to release an article on this topic. One statistic worth noting:

In 2005, U.S. workers left a total of 424 million days on the table, Expedia also found.

That is a lot of days to forfeit. However, that number does speak to the drive of the American worker. I see a number that large and instantly think of what a pioneering, resourceful country we have. Of course, there should be an appropriate level of work-life balance in one’s career especially since there are tangible benefits.

He pointed to findings of the ongoing Framingham Heart Study that women who take two or more vacations a year cut their risk of fatal heart attacks in half.

Yes, I know “ongoing” and “study” dilutes the comment, but it is an eye-catching thesis. We could go into many discussions about work-life balance with this study’s results (once they are published). However, if we take this balance too far, we’ll end up here:

Western Europeans, by contrast, work nine weeks less a year than Americans, on average.

Nine weeks less? My first question is when do they work? My second question – why is Western Europe always propped up as some gold standard for business trends? There is a booming global economy and most countries over there are trying to figure out how to get their unemployment under 10%.

And this article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Rock Star’s condition:

Then there’s “presenteeism.” You know. When you’re at the office, cubicle or shop floor but not attending to your job because you’re sick or seriously distracted.

I’ve seen the Rock Star walk into the office looking like death warmed over, but he has to be ordered to go home before he infects everyone else.

Of course the author has to close with one more Europe reference:

“These are things that are taken for granted in Europe,” de Graaf said. “This country needs a cultural shift to understand that leisure is an important part of life. It’s not a luxury.”

I think it is wonderful that the author believes Europe has a well-developed understanding of leisure. Yet, our economy drives the world. At some level it seems to me that the rest of the world might want to look at the US and how our companies operate. Granted, we have our blemishes, but I suspect that every other country in the world would instantly trade their national economy for ours.

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To Whom it may concern:
I would like to have a great job without being layed off!

Seriously, that is how the cover letter opened. And from the title on another resume:

Professional Job-Seeker

Not the type of title that inspires a long-term employment relationship.

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