Mulligans in Distributorland?

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October 17th –
National Mulligan Day    

Under the heading of true confessions, I find no pleasure in golf.  The idea of following a little ball around on a lovely day just doesn’t vibe with me.  I do like the idea of driving around in a golf cart and having a few beers while friends play.  During this these trips, I often hear the term “mulligan” used. 

 

Since today is officially National Mulligan Day, I decided to look up mulligan to make sure I truly understood the meaning.  Here is the official definition (courtesy of Merriam-Webster.com):

 

Definition of mulligan

: a free shot sometimes given a golfer in informal play when the previous shot was poorly played

 

Further reading revealed the term applies to other aspects of life.  Somehow anything which allows a penalty-free redo could be classified as a “mulligan” in some context.

 

Can there be mulligans in the world of distributor sales?

My first thought is no.  There is no mulligan on making a good first impression.  Quite possibly, no mulligans exist in setting your price too low.  And very few mulligans exist when a seller comes to a call ill-prepared. 

 

Even if a customer grants you a mulligan, it may take a long time to get over the initial mistake.  You know what they say about first impressions!  

Here are a couple of examples from my long history in sales:

 

·        PLC demo and the processor “smoked” in front of the customer – The processor decided to malfunction at the launch of our demonstration.  I had traveled about two hours to make the meeting.  Part of the presentation, prior to powering up the unit involved a conversation about how reliable the PLCs would be in a factory setting.  The customer laughed, and I rescheduled.  Instead of getting the order immediately, I finally convinced them to buy nearly a year later.

·        Introductory presentation with the wrong distributor name – It was my first time presenting to a client.  I got confused and used the wrong name in my presentation.  Three-letter acronyms can be confusing for me.  I spent hours thinking about what I planned to say.  I developed a great PowerPoint, but somewhere along the way, I started using the acronym for the distributor’s biggest competitor.  Immediately after the presentation, the VP of Sales asked me if I did work with their competitor.  I replied to the negative.  He asked how I managed to use their name throughout the presentation.  I am not sure if they ever believed me, but they did finally hire my company, River Heights Consulting.


Maybe these could be examples of my mulligans.  Shoot me a message with your biggest mulligan.  I could use the chuckle.





Frank Hurtte, Founding Partner of River Heights Consulting, shares his personal experiences with 28 years of "in the trenches" training and 17 years as a consultant.  He serves as a personal coach to industry leaders across many lines of distribution.  He has authored 5.5 books (one is almost done) and has written hundreds of articles for national trade magazines, including Industrial Supply Magazine.

Frank is also a sought-after copywriter of marketing materials for technology companies.  His charismatic, yet laid-back, easy-to-follow manner makes him a favorite among public speakers.













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