A Time of Love…

Love is in the air. So is a lot of romance-induced overspending. It’s that joyful commercial holiday known as Valentine’s Day. (The celebration honors St. Valentine, a 3rd Century priest, beheaded for marrying couples despite Emperor Claudius II’s decrees against marriage. Romantic, huh?)

My first Valentine’s Day married to Beth, I made the ultimate newlywed mistake. I forgot.

"Honey," Beth said waking me with a kiss and handing me a gift. "Happy Valentine’s Day!"

A knot formed in my stomach. No amount of after-the-fact spending could get me out of this. I messed up. It was the foolish forgetfulness of a new husband.

Needless to say, I’ve never forgotten again.

I have to admit; I’m still a notorious last-minute shopper.

This year, however, a smart marketer got me to buy early. Since Beth’s on this mailing list (hi honey!) I can’t go into details. Suffice to say their timing was perfect.

And isn’t sales all about timing? It’s about being in the right place at the right time to get the sale.

Just this week I needed a supplier to meet a deadline that my normal vendor couldn’t. I wasn’t sure where to turn. Then it hit me. I’d seen an ad every month in one of my trade journals for years for a supplier. I opened the magazine and there was the ad. I called for a quote. They offered better pricing, quicker turnaround and a better product.

My normal vendor will probably now be my old vendor.

And all because I remembered an ad I’d seen a million times before but at the wrong time.

A one-time ad can’t do that. An occasional ad can’t do that. You can only win that kind of business with a consistent advertising program. The more often a prospect sees your ad, the more likely you are to be in the right place at the right time.

And speaking of timing, I’d better take that gift out of my desk drawer before I wake up on Saturday empty handed. Sometimes timing is everything.

− Phil Sasso