Global Sales Predictions with Strategic Advisor Jim Cathcart

Jim Cathcart is THE consummate professional. If you’re looking for a keynote speaker, leadership trainer or life coach, you can’t do any better than Jim. His knowledge, experience, wisdom, values and ethics are unsurpassed. ~ Dr. Tony Alessandra

Global Sales Predictions

by Jim Cathcart

“When most people make ‘sales predictions’ they base them upon market conditions and economic factors but I’ve seldom found those to be the primary determinants of sales. Those might work if you were predicting how ‘things’ would produce sales, but to predict how people will produce sales you will need different measures. The number one factor in predicting success is the commitment of the achiever to reach the goal. Hence, the number one factor in predicting sales is the commitment of the salesperson to generate sales. So let’s look at that.

In the market and the economy there are prevailing moods that tend to inhibit or encourage achievers. For the past several years we’ve had a malaise in the business community, especially in the USA, that has discouraged salespeople and entrepreneurs. The more intrusive government regulations and public criticism of luxuries has become the less people were encouraged to take risks or go for the rewards. Add to this the continuing threats of wars, terrorism, and racial violence and it’s easy to see why some people just go with the flow instead of innovating. However, in recent months it appears that many people have had enough of this dormant behavior and are now ready to reassert themselves in the marketplace. The resurgence of seminars, meetings, networks, apps, articles and resources for Entrepreneurs is evidence of this. Colleges and Universities are bolstering their course offerings on entrepreneurism and people are talking about striking out on their own more boldly. I don’t think this means that they’ll be leaving their jobs in large numbers but I do see the emergence of initiative, creativity and greater aspirations almost everywhere. Society has a need to grow and expand. That can only be inhibited for so long and then “life will find a way.” I believe that’s where we are right now. People are tired of thinking small and they are eager to grow. They hunger for the thrills of success and the stimulus of competition and risk. All that is needed in order to unleash this sleeping tiger is the removal of excess regulations, burdensome paperwork, overly-protective legal requirements and the popular criticism of those who truly do succeed. When we get back to admiring achievers and celebrating their successes as models to be learned from, then we will see an emergence of new products, new sales strategies, increased marketing and innovative approaches to problem solving. All of these are interlinked. So I predict that quiet salespeople will become noisy again. New sales calls will be made. New ideas will start popping up all around us. Innovative solutions to old problems will emerge and business will start to become fun once again.”

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