I have been a pretty fair salesperson all my
adult life, and maybe even before. I was
pretty successful before I ever knew anything
about selling, and more successful after I
had learned a thing or two.
Even today I am still trying to improve, and
I'm in the top one per cent of all salespeople.
I strongly believe in the old adage that if you
aren't moving forward you are losing ground.
All along the road to my success I have had
my detractors, those who criticized what I
did and how I did it. Almost one hundred percent
of the time the people who were criticizing me
the most were not selling nearly as much as I
was, and in terms of profitablility they weren't
even close.
I have even had a boss or two who didn't like
the way I operated, even when they would have
received no bonus without my effort. Before I
founded The James R Whelan Agency, my reward
for having the top sales in the organization was
to have my territory cut, and my base lowered.
That was the straw that broke the camels back,
so to speak. The folks who replaced me, (it took
three), have never equaled my sales, and have
come nowhere near my level of profitability.
Finally free to do what I wanted I have built a
multi-million dollar company in a few short years.
I do all the things i was criticized for, and a few
more that I'm sure would irritate others.
But the bottom line is this. My sales are appreciating
by percentages that would dumbfound all the critics
I have heard from over the years.
The more clients respond to what my critics called
stupid, the higher my sales go. In fact, I try and
do everyday what my critics know won't work.
When you get criticized for being successful, keep
on doing what you are doing, because what the critics
have really told you is that you are on the right track.
In fact, you may be just steps from discovering gold.
But if you listen to anything they have to say, you
won't find it.
From the big saddle,
Jim Whelan
P.S. Anybody see the picture of former President
Billy Jay sleeping on the dais at the Martin Luther
King Day celebration? He was snoozing like a dog
whose eaten too much chow. Had I been there I
would have woken him up, maybe with a boat horn,
or some Guns and Roses at about 130 decibels.
I've just about finished my master plan for the
Florida primaries, and it's a good one. Stayed
glued to the tube when I give the word. Meanwhile,
call the Whelanator, the hardest working stiff in
the ad business. 206 407 3124
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