Growth in Unlikely Places

I took this picture as I was getting into my car yesterday. It was in the middle of a massive parking lot where there should be absolutely nothing growing. I have no idea what it is, but I believe it is a weed of some kind.

What makes this plant (whatever it is) interesting to me is the unlikeliness of encountering it in the middle of the parking lot. All the other vegetation is well taken care of and confined to the landscaping. Somehow, this seed found it’s way into a crack, found enough soil to get the nutrients to sustain life, and found enough sunlight to grow. Weeds are like that. They are hearty and flexible, and they can grow in the most difficult and unlikely places. They are also as hard as the devil to get rid of.

So here is the metaphor. You know that big prospect? You know, the one that your competitor has completely paved over from purchasing on down to the individual stakeholders? The one that there is no way to penetrate?

Maybe all you need is a little crack in the defenses so that you can set up shop. Maybe, you can stake out a tiny little foothold where you can get a little attention, say, enough to put down some roots. Maybe the business you get is too hard or too unlikely for your competitor to deal with because it requires some heartiness and flexibility. You might be far enough away from the action that you go unnoticed for a long time.

What’s the difference, you still don’t have all the business you want from the prospect. Right? The difference is, in the future, all of your sales efforts are being made to an existing customer instead of a prospect (that means a different level of access and different sources of information). And if you find a way to add massive value to what they do, you are a partner instead of another salesperson calling to obtain their business.

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