Fried Chicken and Vacuum Cleaners

Consider Harland Sanders and James Dyson.

These visionary and creative individuals enjoyed monstrous success in industries already filled with monstrous successes. If you had asked the public, prior to these individuals introducing their new ideas to their respective and established markets, if the world needed more fried chicken or another vacuum cleaner the majority would have likely said, absolutely not.

Although he probably never said it, Charles H. Duell, the Commissioner of the U.S. Patent office in 1889 is accused of saying; "that everything that can be invented, has been invented." However unlikely it is that this is an accurate statement, it accurately represents the attitude of too many people. These are the people that see no reason to improve or reinvent anything. If it ain't broke..... Why not consider breaking it, just a bit!

Colonel Harland Sanders and James Dyson saw their industries and their opportunities differently. Where others saw the present as adequate, these visionaries saw things that were not, as if they were.

Colonel Sanders knew he had a great idea in his unique blend of spices used to enhance the flavor of fried chicken. He called on over a thousand restaurants before someone said they would try his idea.
(He was in his mid 60's when he started!)

James Dyson was already an accomplished inventor when one day he saw a giant cyclone mechanical device that was used to remove sawdust from a lumber yard processing facility and wondered if the same principles could be used in a vacuum cleaner. Five years and 5,127 prototypes later, he had an incredible machine that had no bags and did not lose suction.

The original Kentucky Fried Chicken has been a massive success and if you have every used a Tyson vacuum cleaner, you know why the company is so very successful.

Does your industry need a new innovative idea? Don't just accept things the way they are, just because they are that way. You can't afford to wait on someone else. Many very innovative and monstrous ideas originated from people just like you and are basically minor improvements to an already existing product or service. Consider fried chicken and vacuum cleaners, think differently and take a bite out of the status quo.

Tactics

The United States Army has learned, by virtue of countless experiences, how to tactically attack the enemy. Many of these battle tested tactics, have not changed significantly over many, many years. They remain unchanged for one very simple reason. They work.

The technology has really changed. Weapons that used to be somewhat accurate are now more technically advanced and these technological advances have made these soldiers and the weapons they use far more effective.

Soldiers in the Army are highly trained on how to use the established and successful tactics and how to accurately use the sophisticated weaponry. The mix of established tactics and modern day weaponry is incredibly effective.

And so it should be in sales. There are established sales tactics that must be adhered to in order to achieve the desired results. Simply because there are a million "shiny new digital toys" in your industry does not give you permission to abandon selling tactics that are battle tested.

New technology can be powerfully seductive and has lead many organizations down the yellow brick road only to find that the bricks are crumbling beneath their hurried feet. They replaced common sense methods with uncommon abandonment of logical and methodical processes and there is always a price to pay. Sales fundamental tactics are labeled as such because they (dare I say it) are tactically fundamental to your success.

Learning the new technology, products and services will empower you to help your clients, when it makes sense for the client. Doing so at the expense of successful tactics and proven products, will likely delay and absolutely subvert the process.