Morales Family Farm

Think of the sales process like farming. You prepare the soil; you plant seeds; you water, weed, nurture, and cultivate. In other words, follow through. Not every seed takes root; it may be only one seed in ten, or one in twenty.

Which connections will bear fruit, and when? It depends; different relationships and situations take different amounts of time. Just as with the farmer's partnership with the soil, sun, and seasons, the exact timing is not up to you.

But know this: if you prepare the soil well and are careful in your cultivation, you will reap a harvest - silos full.

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up"

Linchpins and Leverage

Forty years ago, Richard Branson, who ultimately founded Virgin Air, found himself in a situation in the airport at the Caribbean. They had just canceled his flight, the only flight that day. Instead of freaking out about how essential the flight was, how badly his day was ruined, how his entire career was now in jeopardy, the young Branson walked across the airport to the charter desk and inquired about the cost of chartering a flight out of Puerto Rico.

Then he borrowed a portable blackboard and wrote, "Seats to Virgin Islands, $39." He went back to his gate, sold enough seats to his fellow passengers to completely cover his costs, and made it home on time. Not to mention planting the seeds for the airline he'd start decades later. Sounds like the kind of person you'd like to hire.

(Excerpt taken from Seth Godin's new book Linchpin)