New business is the life blood of any company. It is the single thing (in business) that keeps the past in perspective. Without new business, many companies drown themselves in past failures, missed opportunities, less than wise decisions and situations which seem to zap the energy around them.

I heard a sales guy say one time “if your wood won’t burn, go get some fresh wood.” That is simple but effective advice.

See, it is new Business that keeps you looking toward the future and renews hope and energizes you to keep moving forward. In our business, (using a dog analogy) there are two types of brokers. The ones who get one bone and go off and just chew that one bone. The other type is the one who wants to get a pile of bones to chew on. In brokerage terms, the broker who only wants to work on one deal at a time usually doesn’t last long in this business. The brokers that stand through the test of time are the ones that work on a lot of deals at the same time. When you have a lot going on, you can lose a few along the way and it doesn’t break your spirit. If you only have one deal you are working on and it falls apart, it can crush your spirit.

I remember sitting in my Chevy Tahoe in 1998 and having a conversation with the seller of a portfolio we had been hired on. We already had offers and were at the point of going under contract. On that call, the seller changed his mind about selling. Fortunately, I had a lot of deals I was working on at the time because if that portfolio was the only deal I had going, that call with the seller might have broken my spirit. As it was, I just kept going forward on the other deals I was working on and chalked it up to life.

I guess what I am saying is that in business, particularly the sales business, the best time to go after new engagements is when you already have a lot going on. It is amazing how much business you can get when you don’t have to have it. If you are in sales, you might want to read that last sentence again.

So, in life and in business if the wood you have won’t burn, go get some fresh wood. KT