Like many of you, I have a dog. In fact, I have two dogs. One of my dogs, his name is Reddi, is a Border Collie/Husky mix. He loves to play tug of war with a rope and he is very determined to always win. But if I’m willing to hang in there long enough he will eventually relent, and I will claim the rope. Reddi is committed, but he is not “all in” to win the contest. Of course, his survival is not at stake as he will be fed daily regardless of the outcome of our game.
For Wild Animals, the Game of Survival is Deadly Serious.
All animals, from dogs and cats to wild animals like lions, tigers, bears, and eagles have admirable traits. Each animal tends to be known for one or more exceptional aspects.
But when I think about the traits that have helped me to succeed in business, particularly in sales, there is one animal I think stands above all others. That animal is the Wolverine. Their list of positive traits is long indeed, but a few really resonate with me.
Relentless
Wolverines are well known for their habit of traveling many miles in a day in search of food. They have an incredible sense of smell and that nose will take them far and wide in their quest for a meal. The Wolverine is also great at time management. When they are on the hunt they are focused on one clear objective and not likely to get sidetracked with other matters.
It’s much the same with great salespeople. They tend to have a nose for business and they are excellent time managers. The best ones just never give up.
Fearless
The Wolverine is known to stand up to wolves and even grizzly bears in a fight over food. At little more than forty pounds, standing up to a six-hundred-pound bear is no small feat. For perspective, my dog Reddi weighs about eighty pounds and he would never dream of taking on a grizzly bear!
Reddi
Great salespeople are also fearless. They don’t make excuses for not being able to get a meeting with a client. Instead, they figure out a way and make it happen. I once was unable to get a meeting with a client that I knew I could help. Let’s call him Mr. “X”. After trying and failing for a couple of weeks I turned my attention to the ladies in the office. I obtained an employee list that showed there were twelve ladies working in the office of my target client. So I arranged to have a single rose delivered to each lady on the same day. The card attached simply wished them a lovely day and asked if they would be so kind as to put in a good word for me with Mr. “X”. Confronted with every woman in his office asking him to meet with me, Mr. “X” relented. We had a good laugh when I showed up at his office and I did make the sale. Just like a Wolverine, I was on a mission and failure was not an option.
Focus on Strengths
In addition to having a great sense of smell and hearing, the Wolverine also has one of the warmest coats in the Arctic. He can easily go about his business even with temperatures far below zero. The coat of a Wolverine is also colored to match the environment. These attributes and many others are what allow the Wolverine to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the North Country. They do not worry about their small stature, poor eyesight or any number of other factors that others might consider liabilities.
It’s the same for salespeople. Some excel at certain aspects of selling. For instance, I’m good at client relations and problem identification. But I’m not the best at data analytics. So, I focus on the things I do well and seek help from other team members in areas where I am weak. Like the Wolverine, I try to play to my strengths.
Results Driven
The Wolverine may travel fifteen miles in a day searching for a meal. They will climb trees and traverse mountains as required. Birds and small game animals like rabbits and squirrels are on the menu along with anything they can steal from another predator. Wolverines have even been known to take down large prey like caribou under the right conditions. They are both planners and opportunists.
It’s much the same for top-tier sales professionals. In the past, I have routinely driven three hundred miles in a day to make a sales call. I have also gone to some crazy places to meet with clients. For example, I once met with a Middle Eastern client at the camel races in Dubai. Like the Wolverine who travels many miles to earn a meal, salespeople must go to the customer. I used to good-naturedly chide one of my sales teams when I caught one of them in the office during the day. I would remind them that accountants spend the day in the office. Salespeople should spend their day in the field.
Conclusion
Before closing, I wanted to circle back to my tug of war with Reddi and relate a real Wolverine story. There is a book by Sam Keith called One Man’s Wilderness that details the remarkable life of a man named Dick Proenneke. Dick lived in a remote cabin in the Twin Lakes area of Alaska for over thirty years. He was completely off the grid and he became intimately familiar with the animals who shared his world. Dick was always curious about the habits of his animal neighbors, so he sometimes carried out experiments to learn more about them. Once, he baited a sled with meat and tied an “alarm cord” from the sled to his wrist, so any movement would wake him from his sleep. In the resulting “tug of war”, he got a good look by flashlight. “There he was, the king of the weasel family, with short, rounded ears, teeth bared and glistening, muzzle wrinkled like an angry chow, eyes blazing blue – a sight to remember.”
Indeed, a sight to remember!
So, when I evaluate my sales skills, I want to be like the wolverine, using my talents, skills, and abilities to make the sale. My question to you…Does your approach to sales embrace your inner Wolverine?
