ITCHING FOR BEERS BY THE CAMPFIRE – YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE! by Calli Gregg MOSQUITO ARTICLE
THREE KEYS FOR OPTIMAL SELLING AND BETTER RESULTS by Jody Euloth MANAGING THE STRESSES OF SALES
Now that governments are loosening up restriction caused by the recent COVID-19 outbreak and we start to come out of our self-isolation, I am sure like me, you are itching for sociables by the fire this summer with friends and family, well mosquitoes are also counting on it. We have all been around the fire pit in someone’s backyard, campground or on the beach with a few of our friends or fellow campers having a few craft beers or spirits and had our fun ruined by an attack of blood thirsty mosqui- toes, driving us inside. Research shows that if you are getting more buzzed than your friends around the fire, it might also be why you are also getting more mosquito and black fly bites than them. Several international studies have linked the amount of beer (craft or otherwise) that you consume to your likelihood of getting a mosquito bite when outdoors enjoying some time with your friends and it is not because those tiny vampires are itching for your boozy blood or is it? I think I was once told by my father that mosquitoes bite you more when you’re drinking because your blood is thinner, so they do not have to use as much effort to get it out of you. I have also been told that because of the spent grains, like barley and hops that are used in the brewing process, which are also used to feed livestock attracts mosquitoes looking for their much larger prey. Well according to research conducted by the University of Guelph’s School of Environmental Sciences, neither of those are correct. It has nothing to do with your blood thinning out or the smell of spent grains. However, the beer or whatever adult beverage you are drinking does have something to do with the extra attraction from those pesky biting bugs. Research has shown that when you drink your favorite alcoholic drink, the alcohol you consume tends to warm your skin and mosquitoes are very attracted to warmth. So, throw a little extra heat on yourself with a fire and you have the perfect conditions for a mosquito swarming as they look
Without the proper preparation, it is hard to exude confidence in the sales conversation with you client. Confidence comes with being prepared, knowl - edge of products and solutions you have to offer, as well as through the positive self-talk you give yourself. If you don’t communicate in a confident manner, your prospects will feel that energy from you. Once you are in the mindset of feeling prepared and confident, it’s time to deliver and present the opportunity in an enthusiastic way. There is nothing worse than coming across a salesper- son who is giving off a negative energy and who shows a complete lack of enthusiasm for what they are selling. If you are not excited about what you are pitching and don’t believe in the product, service or idea you are selling, then no one else will believe in it either. If you’ve had a day where you’ve received multiple ‘no’s’ in a row, you must find the mindset to make the next call with the same enthu- siasm as you did the first one, remember it is a new prospect. Also remember that your energy level is contagious, and people are attracted to passion and enthusiasm. To ensure your sales success, mind your mindset, manage your motivation and be mentally prepared to deliver in a dynamic way and get yourself into the Sales Hall of Fame.
There is no question, sales can be tough. Whether you’re selling a product, service, idea, or leading a team of sales agents, anyone in the profession knows that repeated rejection can play havoc on the mind and make you doubt your abilities. Sales is a mental game which requires constant nurturing to stay motivated and focused on your end goals. It’s important to recognize that not every person you speak with, pitch or make an offer to is going to say yes and ‘buy in’ to what you are selling. Especially not the first time you chat. Yes, it can happen, but studies show that a minimum of four interactions are necessary with your prospects before they trust you enough to commit to saying yes. And, on average, a good closing ratio is 30%. This means that out of ten people you are making an offer to, only 3 of them are going to say yes. Of course, there are several factors involved in the sales process, including qualifying your leads, but understanding your closing ratio will help in over- coming the feeling of defeat. If you equate this to sports, a baseball player can be considered ‘Hall of Fame’ material if they can bat over .300. Meaning, they will not hit the ball seven out of ten times at bat. Preparation - Confidence - Enthusiasm These are three ways to nurture your mindset to produce the sales results you want. These charac- teristics are what set apart the top sales perform- ers from the average salespeople. And note, that all three of these things are in your control. Failure to prepare is detrimental to sales success. Taking the time to research your prospect, learning about them and their needs is necessary and will go a long way in gaining trust. Once you’ve done your homework, it’s important to properly prepare yourself prior to each sales call or meeting. Get yourself in the right head space, give yourself a motivating pep talk, so you can enter each conver- sation feeling prepared and focused. Directly related to preparation is confidence.
for the perfect landing spot where the blood is. However, your increased body temperature from the booze and fire are not the only reason that they come after those that have been drinking at the fire pit. Beer also releases bubbles of carbon dioxide out into the air when opened and that’s what attracts mosquitoes to us, that along with the carbon dioxide that we also breathe out and since we tend to talk more that just means that more of it is getting released into the air around us and the swarming begins. Research has shown that blood thirsty mosquitoes can detect carbon dioxide from up to fifty meters away. The additional social behaviors that come along with drinking by the fire such as singing, and dancing also add to the chance of a mosquito bite as the little blood suckers are attracted to movement also. They are not going to get any blood from the logs around the fire, which will be giving off carbon dioxide and will be warm along with yourself, so they find you by your movement. These three ingredients all mashed together, brew up the perfect night out for themosquitoes as they and the beers you drank will have you scratching more than your head wondering what happened last night. Take care and remember drink responsible.
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JUNE 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2020
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