A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I, went to see Carole King and James Taylor for their Troubadour Reunion 2010 concert. I have always been a big fan of them both, but was worried after seeing some of the older performers, who have been guest on American Ideal. I was suspicious about how well the 60+-year-old performers would do.
First, we started out by going to dinner at a nice place close to the concert. We arrived early and soon the placed filled up with a lot of old people. We wondered if these people were also going to the concert. I suggested that these people were too old to be going to a concert. Well I was wrong. I think everyone in the restaurant was headed to see Carole and James as well. I guess they couldn’t have been that old since they were probably all my age.
The main difference I noticed at this concert from what I remember from concerts in my youth was that they had concessions stands (even several cocktail stands) and that during the concert everyone stayed seated most of the time. While the audience may have been a little old and mellow, Carole and James were absolutely wonderful. James’s voice hasn’t changed a bit, and even though Carole’s voice wasn’t quite what it used to be, she made up for it with her vivid performance. She is 67 years old and still moves like a 20 year old. It was one of the best performances I have ever seen.
Having both of them on the stage for the entire show and switching between his and her songs allowed for a good mix of different types of songs. The story telling by both of them was also very entertaining and gave added depth. I never knew that James Taylor was such a comedian. They both made a couple of references to being older. Carole King was talking about a song that she had written in the 60’s. She said something like this “for those of you who remember the 60’s, but I guess if you are like us you don’t remember much about the 60’s, and well now it is welcome to the real 60’s”.
James Taylor talked about the set they played for the original Troubadour Concert. He said they tried and tried to remember the set but couldn’t. As we get older, like King and Taylor, our memory seems to go. It is also a fact that as stress increases or we get busier our memory is not as good. We live in a stressful world and if you are in sales your stress levels are constantly at a high level. Being able to remember your client’s name, what you last discussed with them, details about their business and even their personal life are very important for sales people. Even if you aren’t older like me, you still need to have something to help you remember all the details and keep you on track. Salesnet is designed to not only track all the details and conversations; it also reminds you when the next steps are due. Without Salesnet, I would have things dropping through the cracks all the time. Salesnet is my sales memory and sales driver.
Another thing that comes to mind when thinking about Carole King and James Taylor is why they have been successful since the 60’s, and why the current tour is so successful. The key is, in my opinion, that they provide a valuable product and that they have stayed true to who they are. The two of them are a great team and really like working together. They and the rest of the band also worked together flawlessly. Aren’t all these keys to success in sales? You have to have a good product or service to sell or you won’t be successful for long. You must be honest, real and true to yourself and your customer. For most sales people being successful requires that they have a good team to support their efforts. This includes your sales manager and all the people who support you, including your family.
Until next week,
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