Learning from Others

Being the third of four children, I realized early on that I could learn a lot by watching my older brothers. Paying attention and learning from others is a great way to accelerate our progress. Single people can benefit from the same practice. When you meet someone in a great relationship, why not ask them how it happened and how they keep it going? If you ever meet my friend, Jay, I encourage you to talk with him, as he is a great example of using all the sales techniques I’ve been describing.

Several years ago, after Jay got divorced, he was drawn to a woman in his apartment complex. She was reserved and quiet, so it took some time for him to get introduced to her. Gradually he started conversing with her at the mailbox, learning more about her, and eventually he asked her out. She turned him down, but he persisted, as effective salespeople do. Finally she told him she would never go out with him. He asked her why (he wanted to determine her objections, another excellent sales technique). She told him: you’re too old, too short, and too white!

Think about these objections; they were things he could not change – his age, his height, and his skin color. But because he had gotten to know her, he knew that these were not the things that mattered the most to her. What she really wanted was someone she could trust and depend upon, someone who would be faithful to her. He continued to talk with her, demonstrating that he possessed these qualities. Ultimately she did go out with him.

This week we received their Christmas card proclaiming this as their seventh Christmas together!