I can vividly remember being in kindergarten and practicing penmanship. The assignment was to write our name over and over again.
William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson. William James Farquharson.
One day, our teacher told us to write our name 50 times before being allowed to go out to recess. At dinner that night, I complained to my father (John Harold Desmond Farquharson) about being the last one to leave the room and how I “hated our last name.”
With uncharacteristic patience, my dad said, “Son, you will learn to appreciate having a crazy last name. Once people see it, they will never forget you.”
It didn’t take long for my father’s prophetic words to be true. All throughout grade school, people would recognize the last name, and instantly know I was Andy’s brother and John’s son.
As a sales rep, I have found it to be an asset as well. Like Dad said, people don’t forget you. Years can pass and people still remember me because of that crazy name.
Becoming memorable is important. You want customers to remember your skills, your attitude, and the positive overall experience they had with you.
Those of us who were last to the playground now have a slight advantage over the other sales reps in the sandbox. We still have to deliver on our promises, solve problems with our solutions, and be just as diligent as everyone else. Being remembered only goes so far.
But after all those years of suffering, it’s a minor victory to finally have a head start.
The Sales Vault has downloads, scripts, and templates to go along with its weekly live workshops and sales training courses. Visit SalesVault.pro or call Bill Farquharson at 781-934-7036.
