From The Horse’s Mouth

Straight From The Horse’s Mouth

I have often wondered where the phrase, “Straight from the horse’s mouth”, originated.

I thought it may have possibly been an outgrowth of the old television show, Mr. Ed, starring a talking horse named Ed.  I can still hear the opening theme song…

“A horse is a horse, of course of course

And no one can talk to a horse, of course

That is of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.”

Much to my dismay, my research has found that the origin of the phrase is actually from horse racing.  If you wanted to know who the winning horse would be, the most reliable source would be those in the inner circle around the horses.  Jockeys, trainers and owners would usually have a pretty good idea of which horse had the best chance of winning.  So a tip from those people was considered pretty reliable.  A tip that was “Straight from the horse’s mouth” was considered to be even slightly better.

If you want to know who will win the race in selling, and always finish in the money, I will give you a few tips that are “straight from the horse’s mouth.”

To pick the winner in sales, look for the right character traits, qualities and attitudes:

• Friendly and positive.  Winning the race requires them to expect the best and be the kind of person other people want to be around.
• Persistent.  In sales, especially the prospecting stage, you get more negative responses than positive.  The winner of the race must work and persist for the long haul – giving them time to succeed.
• Giving and honest to a fault.  Long term success in selling requires a person who is looking for ways to provide the highest level of value and service to their customer.  The winner has the integrity to seek ways to provide that value and as they do, they easily earn the trust of their customer.
• Prepared.  The winner in sales will be the one who works the hardest in preparing for the job.  They know their clients.  They know their value proposition.  They know the right questions to ask.  They know how to close.  And they know all of these things, not just because of their intelligence, but because of their preparation.
• Organized.  The winner will plan their time each week to insure time for prospecting, discovery and recommendation meetings (presentations), follow up, skill set development and personal development.

” To recognize who will be a winner in sales –

look for that person who demonstrates the right traits, qualities and attitudes.

When you make those same attributes a part of who you are…

you will recognize that person in your mirror.”

– Jeff C. West

QUESTION:  How well do you manage your daily and weekly schedule to allow time for sales activities?