Today, all eyes turn to the self-proclaimed "Weather Capital of the World" where a certain groundhog will unconsciously predict the course of the winter.

I have long admired this little town nestled in the Pennsylvania hills -- and not only because of its hyper-active promotional genes.  My mother was born nearby.  It's also the birthplace of one of the best sales training movies ever made: the 1993 Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day. 

Murray, an egotistic TV weatherman, finds himself trapped in an endless loop of "Groundhog Days" -- until he stops focusing on his needs and starts meeting the needs of others around him.

What a sales lesson!  Salespeople who find that they are spinning their wheels giving the same old pitches over and over can find new traction by seriously addressing their prospects' needs.  So stop telling everybody how great a) you, b) your company, c) your product, d) your service is and start asking what the other guy wants.

Labels: Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney, sales lesson