Do you remember the closing scene in the movie Field of Dreams, where the camera panned away and upward to show the distant Iowa horizon? It was dusk, and you could see a long line of automobile headlights driving toward the Kinsella’s farm. Finally, the viewer understood and appreciated the phrase that was repeated throughout the film: “If you build, they will come.” If you’re a sales professional that is expected to find new accounts, I want you to watch Field of Dreams as soon as you can – even if you’ve seen it 100 times – and I want that last scene to be imprinted on your mind. Here’s why…
If you haven’t seen the movie, or need a refresher, Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, had crazy voices in his head that instructed him to build a full-size baseball field in the middle of his farm. Against common sense and likely foreclosure, he did so. Throughout the movie, no one, including Ray, knew the reason for the instructions. Yet, even though he needed the crops to pay his bills, he faithfully constructed this baseball field. Most of the movie consisted of Ray listening to these voices and searching for the reason. (I’m trying really hard to describe the movie but not spoil it for those that haven’t seen it.)
One of the phrases that he heard the voice command was: “If you build it, they will come.” There are multiple people and answers that came, but the most obvious one was the line of hundreds of tourists that were lined up and willing to pay a fee to see this baseball field in the middle of nowhere. As the movie was coming to an end, we saw Ray receive his metaphysical answers, but that final scene proved to us that “they will come”, and that the Kinsella’s farm wouldn’t be foreclosed.
As a sales professional today, you can’t force or charm yourself into new accounts. There are no longer gate-keepers to manipulate or decision-makers that will schedule appointments with you to hear “what’s new”. Today, if you want to schedule appointments with new accounts, you must create a persona of expertise. When new accounts need something, they need to think about you because you’ve built a reputation of being the expert. Today, it’s not about pushing. Today, it’s all about attracting.
When you’re considering your prospecting strategy, instead of continuing to beat your head against the wall, envision that scene with the hundreds of headlights driving toward the Kinsella’s farm. If you build it, they will come. However, you need to put in the hard work to build it!
