Good morning!

For years, I have cringed when a sales rep comes up against the, “We already have a vendor” objection and utters these words:

“Can I be your backup?”

Nails across the chalkboard.

Seeing Tom Brady in a Buccaneers jersey.

Hearing that one of my kids is considering Auburn University.

These are all cringe-worthy experiences… Ordinarily.

There is an overwhelming feeling of optimism permeating the air. It’s all around us. Pick up a newspaper. Ask an expert. 2021 is about rebound and bounce back. Expressions not heard in a while, such as “booming” and “roaring” are used when describing the economy to come.

For the sake of this Short Attention Span Sales tip, it does not matter whether that prediction is true. What matters is, people are talking about it happening. As such, it has caused me to reconsider one of those cringe-worthy statements.

I spent my junior year at Alabama. That rules out the last one. I will root for Tom Brady, the man. And even writing the words, “nails across the chalkboard” gives me goosebumps.

That leaves, “Can I be your backup?”

Let’s say for a second it’s true, the economy will bounce back in a big way. Given the already fragile supply chain and the fact that all ships rise in a tide, if the post—co-vivid world sees rapid growth, it will certainly put a strain on vendors and suppliers. Bringing the potential of demand being there but not the supply, you could make an argument to a prospect that they need to establish a backup to handle their needs ahead of time.

Ordinarily, if that line worked, it would be like being the last kid chosen for the basketball team. You would spend the season sitting at the end of the bench. However, there is nothing ordinary about 2021. Today, this is a damn good argument to make, given the potential situation.

Get the artwork ready. Run some samples. Get approved as a vendor. Then, sit and wait for those words you long to hear:

“Take off your warm-up jacket, kid. You’re going in.”