Good morning!
Sunday is my day usually reserved for a long run. However, today I’m at the office all day taking care of business so I needed to get in 13 miles between Saturday night and 7:30 this morning.
I covered about 8.5 miles Saturday night and got up early this morning to complete the last 4.5 miles. It was dark and cold when I started my run and every muscle in my body was screaming for me to turn back. I was aching all over and didn’t think I’d be able to complete the run, so I did something which I’ve often done in similar situations in the past. I mentally committed to run until the next light up ahead and then I promised myself I’d turn back.
Once I got there, I coaxed myself into running until the next light. And so it went until I completed my run.
The key to every worthy pursuit is perseverance within proper boundaries.
The fact is, I engage in similar mind games in my role as member of the admissions department at the Regency Park Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hazlet, NJ.
You see, I was always taught that if you “have the goods” to sell, then you needn’t push too hard, but to simply let your superior product sell itself.
Pushy salespeople will often overcompensate in their attempts to sell an inferior product.
I certainly don’t wish to be a pushy salesperson because I am fiercely proud of what we accomplish everyday at Regency Park in Hazlet. There isn’t a better senior post acute rehab center for miles around and I know this quite well, because I’ve visited all of the other places.
So here I am faced with a conflict. On the one hand, I’d like to pro-actively promote and sell our place. At the same time, I am cognizant that we are absolutely the best game in town and my pride will sometimes encourage me to sit back and let the facility sell itself.
What to do? Where does the fine line exist between positive selling versus being a used car salesman?
I try to hit the right balance and it usually boils down to perseverance.
If I feel like a good benchmark is to push the envelope a few times and to mentally challenge myself to ‘go the distance’ and complete the sale without force feeding it to the customer. Not unlike my running trick, I approach every family tour in this same manner.
Usually, the equilibrium is admirably achieved this way. I developed a feel for knowing when and where to push and when and where to stop.
I have a keen sense of that moment of epiphany when the customer realizes they’ve hit a grand slam with our facility. To push any more after that, is to engage in the ‘law of diminishing returns’.
