---
title: 10 reasons – 5 years ago yesterday (May 16th) was a BIG DEAL…
description: 10 reasons - 5 years ago yesterday (May 16th) was a BIG DEAL...
---

[SHIFT](https://www.shiftthework.com/blog)

# [10 reasons – 5 years ago yesterday (May 16th) was a BIG DEAL…](https://www.shiftthework.com/blog/10-reasons-5-years-yesterday-may-16th-ago-was-a-big-deal)

 Written by [Joe Mechlinski](https://www.shiftthework.com/blog/author/joe-mechlinski) | May 5, 2016

<http://www.baronbob.com/time-flies-clockmain.jpg>

For me this is easy because it’s the day my wife (obviously girlfriend then) and I went on our first date (and yes I am going to turn this into a blog).

But when you get to thinking about how time flies, what you have accomplished in the last 5 years and what you *could* accomplish it gets a little scary.

I am sure most people reading this email have one of these moments usually marked by a birthday or anniversary of some sort.

By big aha for this reminds me of my favorite quote:

“***Change is inevitable but progress in not***.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Now if you are reading this post you are obviously a high-performer and very intelligent (think about who the compliment was for there), but what can you learn to make serious progress. Here are a few things to think about... and remember, if the shoe fits, wear it for you and your company:

1). ***The customer, not the vendor, is in control.*** If your company is still denying this, you haven’t adapted to the new reality.

2). In an experienced-based economy, it’s no longer just about products and services. ***The customer experience has become paramount.***

3). Sometimes it’s the most basic things that we’ve lost sight of when sales begin to slip. For example, the simple practice of *listening*, or keeping your word, or handling a problem. We refer to this as the ***Golden Rule on steroids.***

4). Sales used to be a one-way street, but now your sales pitch must become a conversation – a two-way dialogueand a ***reciprocal relationship.***

5). You’ve got to find a way to create ***a*** ***partnership of value*** and change the dynamic from “closing” the client to “enrolling” or “re-engaging” the client. The *emotional intelligence of relationships* is the key to making this shift.

6). Statistics show that the least committed people in an organization are typically its salespeople. That’s a problem. If they’re not committed, what are they communicating? Salespeople reflect their relationship with the company in every interaction. **By changing your relationship with your own people, you can change everything else.**

7). Slow sales aren’t about the economy, the competition, the market, or even the Internet. ***It’s all a question of shifting the mindset of your key people and your sales team.***

8). The carrot and stick, parent-child model of **sales accountability** is outmoded and it doesn’t really work. What works is a relationship of mutual respect between two adults who come to terms on a professional agreement of intrinsic value to both.

9). Pipeline and opportunity management are no longer about volume; they’re about quality. The question isn’t how many contacts, but ***how deeply did you connect/engage***, how clear are you on the prospect’s agenda rather than your own, did you understand *their* mission, vision, needs and agenda?

10). Sometimes stunted growth isn’t a sales problem at all. It may be that the company and/or the leadership hasn’t created ***a clear value proposition that everyone understands, wants and is willing to pay for***. We can help with that, too.

As my good friend Henry Ford says… ***“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do”***

Here is to the next exciting 5 years!

Be Your BEST,

Joe

[View full post](https://www.shiftthework.com/blog/10-reasons-5-years-yesterday-may-16th-ago-was-a-big-deal)

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