In my house the clear snack of choice is popcorn. Sometimes it is the microwave variety, but the preferred method is making it the old-fashioned way: in a pot with real oil, butter, and popcorn salt. We even own a dedicated “popcorn pot” for that single purpose.
The challenge of popping your own popcorn is that you end up with a ton of unpopped kernels – much more than when a bag is popped in the microwave. It’s easy to approximate how many kernels have not transformed into their delicious, puffy state by the mocking sound they make rolling around the bottom of the pot.
About six years ago, my twin boys (who were 9 at the time) were confused as to why so many kernels simply didn’t pop. In my fatherly way, I tried to explain that there likely wasn’t enough moisture in the kernels to produce the necessary steam to cause the explosion needed to transform them into popcorn. While the explanation was factual, they still couldn’t quite grasp the concept that the anticipated amount of popcorn was much lower than the expected amount. Everything was done properly: high quality raw materials were used, the appropriate amount of heat was applied, and the correct amount of fat was used to facilitate the process. Even so, the yield was still off about 15% which made them feel ripped off.
Turning a prospect into a client can feel much the same way: a prospect is engaged, a relationship is built, a problem is identified, a seemingly perfect solution is presented, but the sale still isn’t closed. Many salespeople find themselves obsessing over sales that should have been made – those unpopped popcorn kernels at the bottom of the pot. In that frustration, they lose sight of the sales they are making, focusing on the negative outcomes rather than maximizing the positive ones.
Like unpopped popcorn kernels, some clients just aren’t ready to pop – and never will be. While there may be an explanation, many times there isn’t. At some point, you must move on from lost sales and focus on getting the most of out of the clients that can fully blossom.
There comes a time to simply throw away the unpopped kernels and enjoy the popcorn.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, the leading digital marketing service provider to the promotional products industry, and has over 17 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, president of the Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), vice president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, and PromoKitchen chef, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@PromoCorner.com.