Hi Peeps. It is I, your Peepmaster, Rick Greene, MAS, SAAC, PPAI, FBI, CIA, F F F Und F.
I’m pretty thrilled to bring my Be Bold, Be Different, Be Memorable sales approach here to Blogland. Over the past few years, I’ve had quite a few articles printed in the now-defunct Corporate Logo Magazine and currently in PPB Magazine and The SAAC Times. For one month, I was a guest blogger several years back, but this is my initial experience with an ongoing blog that will never end.
As this is my first blog post for this new regular Be Bold Blog, it is only appropriate to warn you exactly what you are in for! Within these scintillating paragraphs each time, I’m hopeful you will find an idea or two that will inspire you and then, perspire you. Because it’s about thought, then about doing the work. There is NO substitute for doing the work.
I have a Be Bold article coming out in the April 2013 edition of PPB Magazine called “A Touch Is Still A Touch,” and that piece reveals a pretty important secret about promotional products distributor sales from a Million Dollar Producer. In fact, really, about ANY sales job in ANY industry. I’m quite happy with the article and you’ll want to keep an eye out for it. At its core, the piece is all about doing the work.
We can hope for lucky breaks, good timing, the stars lining up and something wonderful falling into our laps, and that does happen. But you can’t count on it. There are mortgages and rent to be paid, food to be procured and incredible Blu-Ray releases on Hi-Def each and every DVD Tuesday. These things must be paid for, especially when starring Robert Downey, Jr. or that little chick with the sword in the “Kick Ass” movies. So, in the end, it’s all about doing the work. Doing the work smarter and doing the work with a creative flair and doing the work so the work is FUN. We’ll cover this right here. And I may share favorite recipes from time to time. (I like things with sugar and chocolate in them. Butter is a beautiful thing. Peas… I can take them or leave them. Mostly, I leave them in the freezer, where over time they transform from peas into a frosty new life form, capable of movement, reproduction and the ability to wax the kitchen floor. This is dangerous, as it could eventually lead to Planet of the Peas. Which is an anagram for Apes. Get it?)
So, I invite you to join me every week or two for insight from me, from my incredible sales partners, from my peers in SAAC and my co-workers at Halo Branded Solutions. I have some pretty solid stuff to share, some of it you already know but need to hear it again, and some of it … just downright shocking.
Whenever I do a sales seminar at a show or for my sales force at HALO, I ALWAYS begin with the phrase, “Be Bold, Be Different, Be Memorable” and then I cover ways in which my peeps can accomplish just that. I’m excited to rendezvous with you, here, on a regular basis, to do my part in your continuing industry education. Education in our industry is CRITICALLY important. I’m proud of that MAS after my name. I earned it, over many years. Recently, when SAAC revealed the education line-up for this summer’s SAAC Show in Long Beach, I got pretty freakin’ excited! It’s a GREAT line-up and I’m doing BOTH days. I’m usually there anyway, introducing the speakers (I am the voice of SAAC. No applause, please) but this time, I’m staying in the room!
So, there you have it. My very first column in my very first Be Bold blog (not counting that other time) is now complete. Here is your action plan for this week. Go into your freezer. Find the peas. DESTROY THEM before they destroy you. They hate us foolish mortals because we eat them even though they don’t really taste good without butter. Why do we do that? When we can have ice cream, WHY do we reach for the peas?
Alrighty. Go forth. Destroy peas. And we’ll see you next time.
Rick Greene, MAS, is the Western Regional Vice President for HALO Branded Solutions, a Past President of SAAC and the Editor of The SAAC Times and the author of two novels entitled “Boofalo!” and “Shroom!” available at www.amazon.com. He is also wanted by Alabama State Police for assaulting several Pea Farmers, shouting, “You’re next! YOU’RE NEXT!” There is something seriously wrong with him.
