June 2008 Archives

Fat Fritz is one of my good friends, and we disagree about
just everything except food, which he eats way too much of.
He also drinks prodigious quantities of beer, which he
brews himself.

Lately Fat Fritz has been on a crusade against the oil
companies, and anyone else he thinks make "obscene"
profits. He has allies like Joe Biden, Tom Dodd, and
Nancy Pelosi. All of them are on the record as wanting
to take a look at corporate profits, which they claim are
excessive, and evil.

According to that logic, the majority of businesses in
America must be evil, and John Q Public must be
Satan himself.

I was talking with a Buddhist friend of mine the other day,
and I asked him what the Buddhist point of view would be
on this issue. He laughed, and said the answer might
surprise me. I told him to hit me with his best shot.

It was just then that Fat Fritz arrived, beer in hand.
I told him that Lama was just about to tell me what
Buddha thought about business. He smiled fron ear
to ear, and said that Buddha would agree with him.

Lama started by saying that Buddha fully approved
of doing doing business. Then he said he not only
approved of doing business, but that it was the duty
of a businessman to make as much money as possible.
The more money he made, the more spiritual he would
become. In fact, he said the wealthier a man is, the
better. The more money he had, the more money he
could put in circulation.

By chance I looked at Fat Fritz, and all the color had
drained from his face. His mouth was hanging open,
and I thought he was going to fall off his chair. He was
dumbfounded.

Even Lama paused, and asked Fat Fritz if he was okay.

Fat Fritz said that he had never heard such a thing,
and that he thought true Buddhists gave up everything.

Lama said a Buddhist could give up everything if he
wanted to, but didn't know what purpose that would
serve, other than another hungry mouth to feed.

Then he went on, saying that many well meaning people
come to Asia to learn about Buddhism, and when they
get home they distort the meaning of what they have been
told for any number of reasons. They create what he called
Ultra Light Buddhism, which really has no relationship at all
to what Buddha actually belived.

But politically it is very palatable, and no one rebukes
them for misusing the truth.

Just for kicks I asked Lama about the oil companies. I
wanted to see if I could really shake up Fat Fritz.

"They are doing their jobs," replied Lama.

"They pay tens of thousands of salaries, and they
provide an income for those who invest in their companies.
Isn't that what they are supposed to do?"

Fat Fritz started warming up. "But they made $40 billion
dollars in the middle of a recession. Isn't that obscene?"

"No," said the Lama. "Wouldn't you expect the largest
company in the world to have large profits? I think I would
be looking at the other companies who can't seem to do
things right, or are breaking the law by misusing other
peoples money."

Fat Fritz went silent. I only wished it was that had shut him up.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. What we do here at the ranch is try to help you
maximize your hard earned money. We do things better,
faster, and at a price that is more than fair.

thejamesrwhelanagency.com
206 407 3124

I almost couldn't believe it when I heard it, but the United States Supreme Court struck down the Washington, D.C., gun law as unconstitutional. There has never been a victory for gun owners like this one.

You may not know that Washington, D.C., had the toughest anti-gun law in the country, and that it also did not work at all, in spite of all the rhetoric from city officials, and D.C.'s very own special city council.

The "District" as it is known there, has had one of the highest
rates of crime in the country. In fact, it led the nation in homicides per capita for a number of years, only recently being eclipsed by Baltimore, a mere 40 miles down the road.

All these stats were gathered while that tough anti-gun law was in place. Senator Jim Webb from Virginia carried a gun with him at all times in the District, and when caught blamed it on an aide. Nobody in Washington is responsible for anything.

Barack Obama was both for the D.C. gun ban, and a big supporter of the 2nd Ammendment, two positions that most normal people couldn't hold. But when you're a saint it's easy to be for two positions on the same issue.

Driller John, (except in ANWR), has been on the right side of this issue for some time, so let's give him some credit here.

Now maybe others in the seven states that still have restrictive gun laws will be emboldened too, and file lawsuits with the court. They had better hurry though, because this correct decision on gun ownership could be flip flopped by the next presedential appointment.

But today the news is good, and we should celebrate.

A man, or woman, can defend their castle, even in the District.

Bravo Supremes, you got it right.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. "Lock and load. Is there anybody downrange? Fire on my command! Fire!"

At that point many years ago about 250 M16's opened fire at the same time. I still remember the noise, and the smell on the firing range. I also remember thinking that I was certainly glad to be on the right side of the bullets, and that nobody was firing back.

Guns are not toys, whether you're a soldier or civilian. Now criminals in the District will have to think twice before brandishing a weapon, because they won't know if their intended victim has one too.

thejamesrwhelanagency.com
206 407 3124

No matter how much good you do there is always someone throwing poison darts at you. They just can't stand the fact that you did something with your life and became successful, while they didn't.

There is an old saying that the further up the ladder of success you climb, the bigger target your keister becomes, and the more people are willing to shoot at it.

It certainly is true, and I have the bullet holes to prove it.

So we are left with the question of what to do.

Legendary marketing expert Dan Kennedy says we should celebrate our critics, stamding up and shouting, " Yes! Yes!" because the more critics we have, the more successful we are, and will become.

The Zen Master of the Internet, Matt Furey, just ignores them completely. He views them all as a complete waste of time and space, and just makes them disappear in his mind.

Both Furey and Kennedy occasionally answer their critics, but not by name, because this only serves to make the flames burn higher. "What these people want is attention," say both of them, "and not giving it to them drives them crazy."

The other reason they don't publicly answer their critics is that the other side will undoubtedly publicly post any answer they make, and rarely, if ever, will they post the entire piece.

Here's another thing to keep in mind.

Critics very rarely buy what you are selling.

And it doesn't matter, even if you make the changes they want you to, they still won't buy. All they want to do is complain, which is the only thing they are good at.

That's a fact, but you needn't get wrapped up in it. Critics are not your problem, especially if they are not buyers. You should spend no time worrying about them and whatever screwball ideas that they have.

Just move on. Taking care of real customers is hard work.That's where you should devote your time.

And one more thing. If a critic ever threatens you, he or she has broken the law. Save all their correspondence in a special file. If they use the phone, record their calls. This stuff is very helpful if you ever need to take very strong action against them.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

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From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board
And new Presidential Candidate

thejamesrwhelanagency.com
206 407 3124

The Whelanator has always been an independent cuss. I've made a sort of specialty out of blazing my own trail. But it wasn't until I began to accept the fact that some people might be smarter than I am that I began to really find gold.

I currently have a guy I am mentoring in the sales business, and we started working together sometime last fall. We had a phone session today, and he had some incredible statistics to share with me.

Since January of this year, he has increased his sales by 100% over last year, and he still has six months to go. He has increased his big ticket sales by 50%, and his closing percentage by 60%. He will increase his personal income from $250,000 to $500,000 by the end of the year.

He is a very happy camper, and I'm going to have to increase my consulting fee, which is always a good thing.

The amazing thing is that we are only 20% into the program I designed for him, and he has had out of this world results.

The one attribute that he has that really stands out is his willingness to accept and implement the advice he receives. He takes one step at a time, implements it, and moves forward.

Then he takes another step, adds it to the first, implements it,and moves forward again. He told me today that most of his prospects now close themselves, and ask him what kind of payments he accepts. They also inquire about what other programs he has, because they clearly see the long term benefits of the relationship.

The whole key to his quantam leap is to accept and implement what I have taught him. When I mastered this simple concept, I made my own quantam leap, and it's been an exhilarating ride.

There are a lot of very smart people out there who are ready, willing, and able to help you. They're not free, but you should spend the money without a second thought. It will come back to you in spades.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. You can get a consulting session with me that will definitely help get your business on the right advertising track. It isn't free, but it's worth every cent. Contact us for
details at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

No, it wasn't Frank Rich, or Maureen Dowd.

That would be way too much too expect, especially of Rich,
who is a Billy Jay Fellowship winner, and the the only exception
to the "even a broken clock is right twice a day" rule.

The columnist would be David Brooks, and on June 20th he
wrote a piece in the Times called "The Two Obamas."

It's worth reading.

And remembering.

It may get read, but I doubt it will be remembered. Obama is
on the fast track to sainthood, and I don't think anyone can
stop the train.

There is hope however.

And it lies in the price of gasoline. You see, when Saint Obama
gets to Washington, he might not be able to raise taxes. Even
on those evil corporations that provided him with a $4 million dollar
income last year. But remember, his advice to college graduates.
"Ambition is not a good thing." Except for him.

Gas prices are not coming down soon. A windfall profits tax will
not bring down the price of gasoline, it will raise it higher. The
public won't stand for higher gasoline prices and higher taxes.

No matter how silky his voice and words, Americans can count.
And if they have less money under Obama than with Bush, they
are not going to be happy. Add the gazillions of dollars for absolutely
idiotic green projects, and he will be a one term disaster.

Brooks chronicles Obama's record. He voted "present" 130 times
in Illinois.

He took no stand on any controversial issue.

He did nothing in the U.S.Senate.

Brooks calls him "Fast Eddie."

And a ruthless opportunist.

I'm more interested in the ruthless opportunist.

Like our old friend Billy Jay, Obama may know what to do to get to
the White House. The problem is knowing what to do when you get
there.

Dick Morris says Billy Jay spent the first four years learning how
to be President. Then it didn't matter anymore.

I don't think Obama has fours years to learn the job. In Washington,
most of your friends have deserted the ship by then.

Brooks is ambivalent about the two Obamas.

He shouldn't be.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. We do it all here at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com.
Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, whatever your
media needs. And we do it better, faster, and cheaper than
our competitors.

Call 206 407 3124

This morning at the breakfast joint I was thinking about
how many hours I actually put in in a week.Usually I don't
think about this, because if you love what you do, it really
isn't work.

One thing I can tell you is that I don't spend all my time
on the phone making calls. I don't start my day at the
crack of dawn either. The are some sales organizations
that force their people to start making calls at 7 AM, take
lunch at 12:15, and call it a day at 6 PM.

You can make some money that way, but that style
doesn't suit me very well. Sometimes, when things
aren't going my way, I don't work harder, I take a day
off. That would send a lot of sales managers blood
pressure through the roof, but it works for me.

For optimum selling, you need to be relaxed, and confident.
Sometimes you can get too keyed up, and you may think
you're doing a bang up job, but the reality is that you aren't.
Your tension shows through to the customer, and they pick
up on it.

Nobody wants to buy from "Nervous Pervis."

There really isn't a concrete answer to the question.

Nells, a friend of mine from way back, used to go over his
weekly quota on Wednesday. He played golf Thursday and
Friday, and this used to drive his sales manager crazy. He
would raise his quota, and Nells would still be ahead of the
game by close of business on Wednesday.

Golf was part of his selling strategy. He made most of his
deals Thursday and Friday, and filled out paperwork Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday.

The sales manager fired Nells. Nells went to work for a
competitor, and took 90% of his business with him. And
then he landed a couple of whales. And you could find him
on the golf course every Thursday and Friday.

Another friend of mine named Ted started work at 530 AM.
He finished at 230 PM. No ifs, ands, or buts, he was locked
down at 230. And get this this, 80% of his business was
done before 10 AM.

It's not how many hours you log. It's how efficient you are
with the time you are doing actual selling. Don't waste an
hour when you can finish in 15 minutes. And don't waste 15
minutes when 2 minutes will do the trick.

The bottom line is dollars, not hours.

I once dropped my largst account after I analyzed it. The
profit margin did not justify the service time it required. Sales
volume is not an indicator of good sales. Large, marginally
profitable deals are often not worth the time and effort required
to see them through.

Once when I was pretty green I made a very large sale. I told
an older salesman about it at lunch. He asked me a question,
"How much did YOU make on the deal?"

Think about that, and you have the answer to the first question.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Optimism continues to run high here at:
thejamesrwhelanagency.com.

Our clients continue to get more exposure, and make more
money than their competitors. Call 206 407 3124 to find out why.

At a breakfast roundtable this morning I heard all kinds of
excuses about performance. They were all laughable. Maybe
not to those who believe this kind of crap, but they certainly
were to me.

Now I heard any number of things, pure pessimism, stock
market theories, fierce competition, prospects saying no,
and then the one tht really got to me, waiting for busines
conditions to pick up.

That one really threw me for a loop.

Successful salespeople sell in all kinds of conditions. One
of my friends was in the middle of a sales presentation to
a Thai family when the power went out. He went to his truck,
pulled out two powerful flashlights, and brought them inside.
The flashlights helped the family find candles, and he finished
his presentation, and did all the paperwork by flashlight, and
candlelight. That was a $38,000.00 deal.

Almost everybody else I know would have packed it in when
the power went out. This same salesperson once drove over
two hours to see a prospect, a farmer. When he arrived, the
farmer was on the roof of his barn, and refused to come down,
saying he changed his mind. My friend calmly removed the
ladder from the side of the barn, and told the farmer he could
stay on the roof as long as he liked.

Then he walked back to his truck with the ladder.

Suddenly, the farmer had another change of heart. Two hours
later they wrapped up a $30,000.00 deal.

Sales ain't bean bag.

Just like the Marines, you adapt and improvise, depending
on the conditions you find. I often surprised prospects by
showing up in the middle of a storm. Believe me, it isn't hard
to close those deals.

Business conditions will never be ideal. The market will never
do just exactly what analysts think. What benefit can you
possibly get by waiting?

I can guarantee you one thing you'll get by waiting.

No sales.

No revenue.

No paycheck.

That certainly is not a pretty picture.

What all these excuses boil down to is fear. And any salesman
with fear in his heart is not going to be successful.

Good salespeople need to get positive, and stay positive. If you f
ollow that simple rule, you'll weatherproof yourself.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Are you running your ad in the right place?
Let us help you find where the "real buyers" are.
Contact us at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

Last year it was the deplorable conditions at Walter
Reed Army Hospital, and now we find out that the VA,
(Veterans Administration), is using returned combat
veterans for drug testing.

Yesterday I was on the phone with a business
associate from Texas, and he told me the heartbreaking
story of meeting two young Army soldiers who had both
lost limbs in Iraq, and who are still waiting for their artificial
limbs. They have a lot of anger at the Army, who they feel
has lied to them numerous times during their ordeal.

Both of these heroes are now 19 years old, and when their
country called on them, they didn't hesitate, they didn't ask
for all kinds of paperwork, they didn't try to get by on the cheap.

They went and did what may be the most dangerous job in
the world. Not only that, they left a piece of themselves in
that hellhole so that people they don't even know might someday
be free.

And now they are all but forgotten, ignored by government
bureaucrats who are cowards of the worst kind. After making
sure that they will never have to get close to the battlefield,
they smugly sit around making decisions about who should
get an artificial limb, and when, and how much they are willing
to pay.

Then on top of this, the VA adds insult to injury by using vets
as guinea pigs in drug trials. And I'm sure there are many, as
yet to be discovered injustices going on to. Where there is
smoke there is usually fire, and in the military, where there is
smoke and fire, there is usually a large bomb ready to explode.

Walter Reed was the last straw for me with the Bush administration.
The drug testing is just icing on the cake. But Obama, an anti-military
guy, isn't the answer.

Maybe the best thing we can do is close the VA, and let these
heroes be treated in hospitals all over the country, where the extent
of their injuries can be seen by more than just a few bureaucrats
who aren't accountable to anyone.

Is Walter Reed fixed? If I was at a Presidential debate, I would
certainly be asking. And just what is the government doing about
putting seriously injured soldiers and their families back together?
And for god's sake, why are we using veterans as guinea pigs for
the government and large pharmacuetical companies?

I want answers to these questions. Don't you?

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Sometimes you have to be interested in more than
just business. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude for those
who have served the country without question.

thejamesrwhelanagency.com
206 407 3124

Last night I was thinking about the worst slump I ever
had. This isn't any salesperson around who hasn't had
a slump, and many times even the best salespeople
have slumps, sometimes even really bad ones.

A slump is when you don't sell anything, for those not
in the sales biz. Normally you make a certain number
of calls in a week, and you sell a certain percentage of
those calls. You get what is called a closing percentage.
This is a term that has some value, but it never really
tells the whole story. Many lazy sales managers use it
as the the be and end all statistic, even though there are
many other factors involved in successful selling.

My closing percentage was normally around 40%. That
means that out of 10 calls, I picked up the check 4 times.
Good salespeople close 25% of their calls. Very good
salespeople close 30% of their calls. Closing at 35% or
more puts you at the top of the feed chain.

Even at a 40% close rate, I wasn't number one. That
belonged to a legendary salesman named Max. He was
a huge guy, 6'8", and he weighed in around 275. He was
like the worlds friendliest bear.

Max closed at 72%. I've never been in any organiztion
that had a guy like Max. He really was the guy who could
sell ice to Eskimos. One time Max went into a bad slump,
and I remember it because I hit one at the same time.

The slump lasted eight days for me, and nine for Max.
The sales manager beat me up every day, because you
can't talk that way to a guy as big as Max. He wanted me
to change everything I did, and the way I did it.

I never listened to anything he said. The reason he was a
sales manager was because he was a 25% closer. I made
double the money he did, and I won lots of incentive prizes
too. I bumped into Max the sixth day of the slump, and he
asked me what Mr. Clean was saying. I told him, and he
looked at me and said, "You aren't changing anything are
you?" I said no, and he nodded, throwing in a few expletives
about Mr. Clean.

Two days later I made a huge sale, one of the biggest I ever
made. For the next 10 days I closed at 58%. Max broke loose
the day after, and closed 13 straight sales.

The lesson is this: If you are a good salesperson and your
system works, don't change it because no one is buying for
a few days. It happens. Just keep on doing the best job you
can, and sooner or later the earth will tilt slightly in your direction.
You'll start picking up those checks, or filling in those credit
card numbers.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Stay the course! Or get on the course and start playing.
If you don't offer your product to the public in a big way, you'll
always be small potatoes. And who wants to be tater salad?

Contact us: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

There have to be a lot of sales managers saying it
to themselves this morning. "If only I had a Tiger Woods,
or how do I get a team of Tigers?"

I started watching the golf tournament Thursday out
of curiousity. Usually I use golf as a Sunday afternoon
sleep aide.

But this time, with Tiger coming off knee surgery,
and also because he was paired with Lefty for the first
two days, I thought it would be interesting to tune in
early. Lefty did a little too much thinking again before
the Open, opting not to include a driver in his bag.

The results of that bit of shortsightedness became
evident fairly early, with Tiger outdriving Lefty by 60
plus yards off the tee, and in the fairway.

Tiger wasn't mistake free by any means, but he
scratched and clawed and hung in there by any
means necessary, and some looked painful at times.
Then he creeped into the lead with some brilliant
play Saturday.

Sunday he was hanging on, then fell off a bit, then
charged back in the last moment to force a playoff.
So today he goes mano a mano with Rocco Mediate
for 18 holes to determine the champion.

It's as if Tiger is saying, "I'm crippled, and I can still
beat the rest of you."

If he wins, I think the psychological impact on the rest
of the best players in the world will be huge. In effect they
are being beaten by a man on one leg.

I think I have a little Tiger Woods in my tank. I've
weathered more than a few storms building this
business, and I've endured more than my share of
criticism while doing it. But like Tiger Woods, I've
shrugged it off, and focused on what I want to do.

Many of the accounts I now service I won through
dogged determination. When all the other competitors
threw in the towel, I soldiered on, making call after call.

Watching Tiger Woods play over the weekend I wished
I could clone him a number of times and put him on my
sales team. What if I had 10 salespeople who like me
and Tiger, refused to give up?

I can only dream about that.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. It's back to Boston for the big celebration
this week, because the Celtics wanted to win at
home. My apologies to Laker fans, who are just
going to have to wait. (Forever, I hope!)

If you have a spare moment this afternoon, tune
in and watch how a true champion competes. Then
contact us here at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

Today, everybody I dealt with was late. Not one minute
late, which still isn't good, but 20 minutes late, or 30
minutes late.

It started early this morning at a medical lab, where I
had an appointment at 830 AM. They showed me in at
850 AM. No apologies, no reason for the delay. So my
schedule is now off by half an hour.

Then I had an appointment at the bank at 10 AM. And
I want to tell you, I am not your Joe Average customer.
I have six accounts in this bank, and they contain a good
number of zeroes.

I was ushered in the bankers office at 1018 AM. A half
hearted apology, and a laugh like it really wasn't all that
important. So now I'm an hour behind schedule for the day.

I had a conference call scheduled for 1130. The other party
wanted to rechedule for 1 in the afternoon. "We've been
extremely busy," they said.

Huh?

I'm busy too, and I can tell you one thing, I'm never late
for an appointment.

Being late is a sign of disrespect.

If you're a salesperson and you're late for an appointment
with me...I'm not buying. Period. I don't care how good your
product is, or how well you presented it.

It just ain't acceptable to be late.

More people need to feel this way.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. A day late and a dollar short. Those words will never
be spoken about The James R Whelan Agency. We work extra
hard to show up 10 minutes early, and leave late.

Contact us at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

When I was a pup in the sales business I always
had to be right. What I didn't realize at the time was
that this cost me customers. One of my mentors
pointed this out to me after an unsuccessful sales
call one day.

My initial approach was good, and I got the prospect
interested in what I wanted to sell.

Then he said something that wasn't correct, and I
had to prove that he was wrong. I laid down a really
good argument, and as far as I was concerned, he
wasn't even in the ballpark.

Driving to my next appointment my mentor told me,
"You know Jim, sometimes the difference between you
and a horse's rear end is not really distinguishable."

That took a minute to sink in, and then I got really
mad. I didn't like anybody telling me I was wrong, and
I took my mentor back to his own car. Then I proceeded
to strike out for the next few days.

On Monday morning I met my mentor for breakfast. He
asked me flat out, "Do you want to be right or rich?" I
mumbled something about being rich.

He said, "It doesn't matter who is right or wrong,
what matters is you get the sale. I've been at this a
long time, and I know hundreds of experts in any
field you can name. Now most of them can't tell the
difference between cows and pigs, but I really don't care.
What I'm an expert at is getting the sale. And that
requires that you learn how to hold your tongue in a
good number of situations."

That hit me hard, and I was slow to take his advice.
I blew a number of sales in the next few months because
I had to be right. Then one day I was about to do myself
in yet again, and I heard his words again. I shut up and
got the sale.

Salespeople love to talk. And they love being right. But
your biggest asset can also be a liability. Knowing when
to keep your big mouth shut is a hard thing to learn.

But it pays off in spades.

And when you think about it, don't we have enough
experts already? Do we really need another opinion in
the decision making process?

If you ask the right questions, your clients will sell
themselves on your product. And they'll refer other clients
to you to boot because they are so happy with...their buying decision.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairmaan of the Board

P.S. To all those who are having trouble selling,
thinking maybe they don't have the right product,
get a load of this. Women in New York are now
paying $180 to get a bird poo facial. And there is
a waiting list at top salons. And all the advertising
has been word of mouth.

So you think your product won't sell...think again.
You just need to get it in front of the right people,
and that's what we specialize in here.

Contact us: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

I am constantly engaged in setting new goals for myself,
and this morning I was thinking about my first really big
customer. I tried for months to get an appointment to see
this guy, and the answer was always no.

It didn't matter if I tried on the phone, by letter, or personally,
the guy wouldn't see me. One Monday morning I decided that
I would get to see The Cheese. That's how I had him listed
in my book.

I waited till just before lunch and strode in to the office
where I presented my card to the secretary who gave me a
dirty look, and waited. About thirty seconds later she walked
out with a rather puzzled look on her face and said, "Go on in,
he'll see you."

I walked on in to the Cheese's office, which was quite large,
as he was. The Cheese launched into a long diatribe about
the company I worked for. He knew the owner personally, and
didn't like him. He then detailed a number of bad experiences
he had had with the company over about a dozen years. I found
the last story pretty amusing, and started laughing.

"You think that's funny?" he screamed at me.

"You know," I said, "I've heard a lot of stories about Bob,
but that one is absolutely the best. If I never do a dollars worth
of business with you, that was worth the price of admission today.
Do you realize how many salespeople I can tell that story to, and
how funny they're going to think it is?"

This really got his attention, and he detailed off a list of
how he wanted to work. He had a very short attention span,
and he never wanted to have to choose between items. "Just
bring me the best product you have to offer, and a reason I should
buy it."

I followed his instructions to the letter. Every week I would
bring in a very expensive product, and give him a reason to
purchase it. The presentation never lasted more than 60 seconds.
80% of the time he said yes, and he never once asked me what
anything cost.

Within months he became a whale, and I made sure I knew
his business inside and out. I knew more about his business
than his own staff, and he once threatened to fire them all
because of it.

I referred a number of salespeople to him, and told them the
rules they had to follow to make a sale. Sadly, only one of
them followed the advice I gave them. He got a large sale, the
others failed because they couldn't follow simple directions.
One time I took a guy in personally, told him the rules, and
The Cheese walked out in the middle of his presentation. He
was flabbergasted, and wanted to know what he did wrong.

"I told you to keep it to one minute or under."

"Nobody can make a sale in one minute," he said.

I did, and I did it with regularity. After six months I was
awarded an exclusive contract with The Cheese. I held it for
three years, during which time I made a pile of dough. Six
weeks after I left the company, The Cheese threw out the exclusive
contract, and my old company was shown the door. The Cheese
told them I was the best salesperson he ever dealt with,
because I could follow simple instructions. He also told them
that I anticipated what he needed and took care of it without
a hitch.

To make a long story short, I listened to what the client
had to say, and tailored a program around him. He rewarded
me for what I did with a lucrative, exclusive contract.

Listening is a good salespersons number one skill, and
if it ain't, it ought to be. Clients always tell you what they want.

You just have to deliver.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S> If you have had money on the Lakers I feel bad
or you. Or if you were one of the many folks who thought
Big Brown was a sure thing. Only two things in life are
a sure thing, The Celtics winning another championship,
and you making money by placing your ads with The James R Whelan Agency.

Contact us: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

Today I'm going to engage in idle speculation. I have
a theory as to why Hillary Clinton failed to win the
Democratic nomination for President, and it doesn't
involve Billy Jay.

All weekend the pundits pounded on Billy Jay, and
focused in on him as the main reason Hillary was
defeated. Now I'm all for the press giving Billy Jay a
beating, because we all know he deserves one, even
if he doesn't think so himself.

The best thing that could happen to the Democratic
Party would be to have Billy Jay retire permanently
to foundation business.

Now some pundits had the idiotic idea to bring Billy
Jay out in the fall to rally the Bubba vote. This would
be typical Democratic hypocrisy, railing against Billy
Jay as a racist in the spring, and having him rally the
white folks in the fall.

So here is my theory, or idle speculation.

Hillary Clinton is not the Democratic nominee
because...she isn't good looking enough.

Now some of you may be swallowing hard, but I
think it's the truth. Barack Obama is the nominee
because he is much better looking.

And among Democrats, that's a very important thing.
The lesson all women in Hollywood learn is that after
50 there are very few roles for them to play. And Hollywood
is the Democratic party, all caught up in the past, and with
incredible fantasies about how the world actually works.

The truth is that Hillary isn't camera friendly. Even with
a full time makeup artist she can't pass muster. Whereas
Barack probably only needs a minute or two in the chair
and he's ready to for as many closeups as you need.

So that's what I'm thinking, and I've said my piece.

But you know that if I'm saying it, there must be a whole
horde thinking it. You put a picture of Barack and Michele
next to a photo of Hillary and Billy Jay, and ask the simple
question, "Which picture do you like best?"

It's all over.

To me it's just simple marketing. Everybody else just
complicates the issue.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S.Nothing is more important than first impressions.
Around here we make sure that your first impresssion
is a good one. Get on the success train right here.

Contact usat: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

The Democrats have made their choice, and so now
the real battle for the White House can begin. We
can only hope Obama doesn't pick Hillary to be Vice
President, if only to keep Billy Jay in permanent retirement.

There are a number of issues that loom large in the
fall, but taxes are numero uno by a long shot. Obama
seems never to have met a tax he couldn't vote for,
and if it affects the rich, so much the better.

We're going to be hearing a lot about the rich very
soon, and obscene corporate profit. The Democrats
are going to mount the biggest class warfare camapign
in history. They think the time is ripe for a "poor, poor
me" campaign."

There have been a number of articles lately in business
publications where CEO's who should know better are
talking utter nonsense about how they are not primarily
profit motivated. (And on the other hand, how green they
are, but that's an issue for another article.)

These CEO's are delusional, and as a result their
business are not as strong or as good as they can be.

If your primary reason for for being in business is not
to make a profit you don't belong in the business club,
and you'd be better off running a charity. If profit isn't
your main motivating factor for making business decisions
you're going to be making a lot of bad business decisions.

I know a guy who has a personal training business, and
he was having problems making his business work. I
referred him to a friend of mine who specializes in making
businesses profitable, and he does it very quickly.

He had several conversation with the personal trainer,
and then wrote out a plan for him to follow. The personal
trainer was terrified of the plan, and he called me to tell
me that he soon wouldn't have any business at all.

I thought this was pretty funny.

The first step in the plan was to triple his prices. This is
what the personal trainer was afraid of. He thought that
no one would pay him that kind of money.

I talked him into implementing the plan, and he did lose
a couple of clients. But he added a bunch more at the
much higher price. And he retained all the rest. Now he
has a waiting list for new clients. He has also introduced
a new exclusive service that triples his new price. He
has a dozen people enrolled in that plan.

His bills are all paid. He has hired two new staffers, and
he has money in the bank. He works fewer hours, and
has some time for himself.

It's all paid for by profits.

In the past he wasn't focused on profits. He had no
idea what his service was really worth, or what people
would be willing to pay for it. Now his attitude is radically
changed, and so is his business and lifestyle.

Profits drive the economy. When the government starts
stealing profits, business does not thrive. This is a lesson
the Democrats will never learn.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Today the business of the personal trainer dwarfs
all his competitors. The talk about his programs and
high prices like he is some kind of lunatic. They don't
realize that they are advertising for him. They plant the
questions in everyones mind, "What's so good about his
program that he can charge so much more than everyone
else? Why does he have a waiting list?"

And he has plenty of money to advertise his more expensive service.

Contact us at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or 206 407 3124

A few weeks back at a business roundtable meeting a
young sales manager asked the question, "Can a really
good salesman go bad?"

That's a good question for a young guy to ask and know
the answer to.

The answer is yes, and there's a laundry list of reasons why.

First of all, when you take a look at the leading salespeople
in a company, you won't find many saints. Many of them
have a lot of bad habits, but they bring in a lot of money...and t
heir bad habits get overlooked, or swept under the rug.

In one company I worked for the leading salesman had a
human relations person assigned to him. Just for him! He
was an absolute terror in the corporate office, and most people
there would not do any work for him. He had his own staff,
which changed frequently. He had a long list of complaints
brought against him by company employees. Any day he
was in the office a sales manager was assigned to the bullpen
to put out the fires he started.

At the time I was there, the sales revenue for the company
was around $400 million, and this guy brought in around $60
million by himself. That's a huge chunk of revenue for one guy,
and you can see why the company protected him.

He was gruff, arrogant, selfish, territorial, an alcoholic, and
possibly a drug addict too. When he landed yet another large
account it was all about him, and I never heard him say a
good thing about any of the people who worked for him. At
times he couldn't even name his staff.

At another company the leading salesman was a walking
soap opera. You needed a book to keep the details of his
life straight. He violated every rule of sales I ever learned, and
still always closed the deal somehow. Being in his office was
high comedy. His secretary would say, "Your wife called." "I'm
not married at the moment," he would say. "Ex," she would say.
"What number?" he would reply.

These two managed to stay at the top, but many others
crumbled under the weight of their personal problems. Over
the years I have seen dozens of top notch salespeople fall
off the pedestal.

Some clean up their act and make it back to the show
again. Others can't break their self destructive habits,
and continue spiraling downward.

A couple of years ago I bumped into a guy I knew years
ago that fell pretty hard. It took him 12 years to get himself
straight and back in the game. He said it very simply, "I lost
my mojo for a while there."

Sales is a very tough game, and it isn't for everybody. For
every winner, there are a good number of losers. 20% of your
sales force brings in 80% of the business. That means that
the great majority of your people are mediocre.

That's a hard thing to swallow, but it's true. Then, your best
people are a kind of two edged sword. They bring a lot of business,
but also a tremendous amount of baggage. So it's always a tough
balancing act to get your organization moving forward.

"I had a salesman with no problems once," a friend of mine
once said. "He wasn't worth a nickel."

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. "The business graveyard is full of companies who
didn't take their message public." The Whelanator

Contact us at: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124

This morning I got an email from my friend Dr. Dharma,
who can be found at: drdhrma.com. Dr Dharma is one
of the leading experts in the world on the human brain,
and on Alzheimers.

The following is quoted directly from his email:

"I am really sorry to report this recent finding on
eating certain types of meat, but I think you ought
to know about the danger.

A recent report reveals that eating just one sausage
per day can significantly increase your risk of bowel
cancer, a very bad form of the disease, according to
an analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund.

Eating 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily...about
one sausage or three strips of bacon...raises the
likelihood significantly.

Processed meats may also trigger cancer of the lung,
stomach, pancreas, and prostate.

Processed meats include bacon, ham, pastrami,
salami, and especially hot dogs. Sausages and
hamburgerscan also fall in this category if they are
preserved or have chemicals added.

WCRF recommends that people avoid eating all
processed meat, although they say that at least
eating less is a good start. If we do this many
cases of bowel cancer will be prevented.

that also means watch the pepperoni on the pizza
because it's a processed meat also.

All of these processed meats do the following:

1) Increase your risk of colon cancer by 50%.
2) Increase your risk of diabetes by 50%
3) Lower your lung function and cause lung disease.
4) Increase your risk of bladder cancer by 59%.
5) Increase your risk of stomach cancer by 38%.

What to do.

Choose organic meats that are grass fed or free range."

(I am adding the following: Make sure the animals were
not fed antibiotics or BGH.) (Bovine Growth Hormone)

"Look for uncured varities that contain no nitrates.

Choose varities that say 100% beef or chicken. This is
the only way to know that the meat bis from a single
species and does not include byproducts such as like
skin or fat.

Avoid any meat that contains MSG, high fructose corn
syrup, preservatives, or artificial flavor.

If possible, purchase from a small local producer can
verify who can verify ingredients and procedures."

This is good information to know, and next time you
pass the baloney in the supermarket you might want
to keep on going.

I'm going to miss eating those fried baloney and onion
sandwiches, but I'll get over it.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Leo Burnett once said, "A good basic selling
idea, involvement and relevancy, of course, are as
important as ever, but in the advertising din of today,
unless you make yourself noticed and believed, you
ain't got nothin'."

Themz is words to remember.
Contact: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

Last week I lost someone very close to me.

Cancer was the killer.

My good friend fought it hard for two years, but cancer
is a relentless enemy. You can be the greatest warrior
of all time, but cancer keeps sending fresh troops into
battle until you wear out and just can't fight it anymore.

Up until very recently cancer was something I kept at a
distance. It is always around, but it only affected other
people. I would hear that so and so had cancer, or a
business associate had cancer, or someody I met once
had cancer.

One of my early mentors got cancer a few years back. He
taught me a bunch about how to make a sale profitable, and
how to make sure I got paid. Every Friday he would look over
the record of my sales and find commission errors, money
that should have been in my check. He would fill out all the
corrections, and I would take them to accounting. One time
acccounting roughed me up, basically telling me I was creating
extra work for them.

My mentor blew his stack when he heard this. He walked
down to accounting with me, and cursed out the whole
department, from top to bottom. I remember him screaming,
"How would you feel if there were this many mistakes in
your check?"

I left that company after a few years, and so did he. We
would bump into each a couple of times a year at trade
shows. Then, at the largest show of the year I went to his
booth looking for him, and a colleague of his pulled me aside.
"Jim has cancer."

I went to see him the following week. He told me the doctors
gave him a year to live. I never spoke to him again because
he died less than three weeks later.

I didn't go to his funeral.

I wanted to push his death away, like it didn't happen. From
his diagnosis to his death less than ninety days elapsed. His
cancer was voracious.

We have made a lot of progress against cancer over the years.
Some cancers can now be stopped almost immediately. Others
can be reversed over time. We can even stop stage three and
four cancers with some cutting edge treatments.

But we still don't know the root cause. We don't know why it
strikes one person and not another. But we're getting some
good ideas.

We have identified a slew of carcinogens, and more are
discovered every day. Did you know, for instance, that sunscreen
has four carcinogens in it that are activated by the sun?

Did you know that high fructose corn syrup, which is in
almost every packaged food, and trans fats, which are i
n literally thousands of food products, are killers?

I pay a lot more attention to the so called health nuts
these days. I eat a lot more green food than I used to,
and have found that eating vegetables and fruit is a
good thing.

If you want to, you could easily design an anti cancer
diet, and eat very well.

Cancer has taken one of my best friends.

I can't do anything about that, but I can try and help
some of you. I'll be providing more anti-cancer information
in the future. They more all of us know, they better off we'll be.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. I'll be out of the office for a few days, but the staff will
be taking care of things as normal.

Contact: thejamesrwhelanagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.