We walk around in a world where we often miss things that are in our general area or that could teach us a lot about the mechanics of the universe and the physics of business.
Our universe is one of trends, ebbs and flows, booms and busts in times of uncertainty. Sometimes the simplest things can remind you of the utterly complex.
This is where the spider comes in. Watching a large spider spreading and building its web outside my house got me thinking about how a spider makes a network and stays alive. Obviously we treat our customers as one of us, not quite like the spider does to its catch but there may be some things the spider can contribute to the real physics of sales and business. Here are some of my takeaways.
- Location, location, location! A spider is going to go where the market is thriving and it’s going to fight to be in the right place at the right time to make a big catch. A spider will not avoid something because it’s hard to get to. If that’s where the catch is going to be it will find a way to have the network up and running to snag the deal. Translation: Don’t hide in your basement, get out there! If your office is buried in the back of a business park then get yourself and your reps out to conferences and out of the office as much as possible while selling.
- Quality of the catch matters to the spider! If you try throwing a piece of grass or a random piece of a plant into the web the spider will come down from the center, check the quality of the catch promptly and remove it with a kick if it’s not the real deal! Translation: Once you have snagged potential customers in your sales funnel be sure to figure out which ones are actually going to be converted into real customers and which ones are not real customers and have no real interest. Make it fast and get back on your game checking and sourcing new leads and business.
- Build fast so you can try different things and learn quickly! The smart spider will get its targeted catch and then change positions of the web several times to find the the maximal position to be in to attract new potential catches. Sometimes it will adjust the entire web in the span of an hour to several feet away. Translation: When it’s time to change direction do it with grace and do it smoothly. Move your team or your leads in the direct you want them to go with beneficial changes. Always be ready to expedite changes!
- Don’t lose valuable energy fighting a losing battle. If a spider catches something it didn’t bargain for or is outside it’s capability to handle gracefully it will release the catch from the net. The spider wants to grow but it also doesn’t want to die. Translation: Don’t destroy sales operation because of stubbornness. Be nimble and if something is truly beyond your capability shelve it for revisiting at a later date. You’ll be able to take it on at some point but grow there safely. There is no point destroying an operation or a potential future sale due to biting off more than you can chew.
- Be awake and aware of your surroundings! The spider can tell even before you touch its web that something is coming. It can sense the breeze through its sensitive legs and see what’s coming with its many eyes. It stays aware anytime it is out on the web working and trying to stay alive. Translation: In business these days everything effects everything else. EVERYTHING. Be sure to stay on top of tends in technology, new tools, new competitors and potential changes in the local market and politics that could effect your business and your sales. Just as you should be sensitive to threats to your sales operations you should also be aware of totally new opportunities that your competitors may not have even registered yet.
Now get to building that web!
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