Bronco Busting and Problem Solving

You arrange yourself to sit tight in the saddle, wrap your fist with a knotted rope to secure your grasp, and then you give the ready sign and the gates are thrown open — the beast bolts out of the stall and into the open arena where you see the seats in the stands crowded to capacity and hear the shouting and cheers as you prepare for the ride of your life….

Are you some bronco busting cowboy or a problem solving sales and marketing hired gun about to tame a client’s toughest challenge?

Although I’ve never broken a wild horse, I like to imagine that the risk and thrill of these two disparate tasks feel very similar.

You can prepare, practice, and train hard for a sales presentation or a marketing pitch, but once you’re in the arena (the client’s board room or office space) and they turn to introduce you to everyone present (the crowd) signaling that it’s your turn… you better be holding on tight because you never know which way a meeting is going to buck and try to throw you.

Another similarity between bronco busting and problem solving sales calls is the importance of these two lessons:

Remember to stay balanced and to get back up again whenever you get knocked down.