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09/10/2025
Distracted Selling
Source: Bill Farquharson, September 8, 2025
A few years ago, one of our kids shredded the tires on the right side of the car. It was not a matter of cell phone distraction. It just happened (the dashboard camera verified this claim).
As part of the recourse, in addition to her paying for the new tires, we required her to take a post-license driving class. It was a 1/2 day event and of course, she kicked and screamed her objection. It's been several years now and there's never been a second incident.
One of the things she told us the instructors did was to have her ramp the speed up and do some simple math on a calculator. The idea was to show her the dangers of texting while driving. The lesson definitely made an impact.
Ideally, effective sales practices are done in a quiet environment. Today, that's a rarity. Times have definitely changed. I remember the panic that ensued when one of my kids came walking into my office asking a question while I was on the phone. Yikes!
Two things to talk about here. Distraction and quiet. First, do everything you can to limit the distractions in your sales environment. Shut off notifications on your phone. Close your e-mail app on your computer. Make it known what you are doing so that people will not barge in. The point is, control what you can control.
Second, while it is no longer a necessity that calls are made in a vacuum and screaming children is now a post-COVID reality, recognize the message you are sending someone when you phone them from a noisy background. It says, “You are not important enough for me to care.”
The rules around noise and distractions might have loosened, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow them. Make sure you plan your call surroundings accordingly so that no subliminal messages are sent.
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