Do you remember the days when opium was the drug of choice? If not, why not? All kidding aside, opium is really the key to success in business today. Am I saying you should take drugs? No, the abbreviation OPM is the secret of business success.
OPM stands for both Other People’s Money and Other People’s Minds. If you’re in business, the more you can leverage other people’s money and other people’s minds, the greater your chance of success. I strongly believe that more businesses fail not because of a lack of financial capital, but a lack of intellectual capital. If you’re a small business owner reading this, I can’t scream it loud enough. It’s been true in my own business since I founded it in 1998. Even senior level managers must apply the same rules. You must be able to leverage the intellect of those around you.
Now, let’s tie this back to Sales. In Sales, you use other people’s money and minds to close every deal. You can’t finish any sale until the customer can see in their own mind how what you’re offering makes sense. The more they understand, the more you can sell your product for. Amazing, isn’t it? The more you use the minds of your customers, the more you get to use their money.
Copyright 2007, Mark Hunter / “The Sales Hunter”
