A discussion about sales, sales tips and advice, and about those who land the deal

Today's dose of sales inspiration I wanted to pass along to you comes from an unlikely source:  Our military in Iraq.

While many of us sales pros talk about "the battle" for new customers, or "fighting" for a sale, nothing compares with what our troops in Iraq face every day.  Yet in the midst of that real battle, our servicemen and servicewomen have come up with some brainy solutions to some of their everyday problems. 

For instance, a problem that the troops face daily is nearly invisible trip-wires that trigger hidden bombs to explode.  One solution to the problem devised by the troops?  Silly String.  That's right, the stuff kids love to squirt at each other at birthday parties.  It's also quite effective in uncovering trip-wires that the enemy plants.  Here's a snipet from the Associated Press:

"A New Jersey mother is organizing a drive to send cans of Silly String to Iraq.

American troops use the stuff to detect trip wires around bombs, as Marcelle Shriver learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq.

Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.

The military is reluctant to talk about the use of Silly String, saying that discussing specific tactics will tip off insurgents.

But Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said Army soldiers and Marines are not forbidden to come up with new ways to do their jobs, especially in Iraq's ever-evolving battlefield. And he said commanders are given money to buy nonstandard supplies as needed.

In other cases of battlefield improvisation in Iraq, U.S. soldiers have bolted scrap metal to Humvees in what has come to be known as "Hillybilly Armor." Medics use tampons to plug bullet holes in the wounded until they can be patched up.

Also, soldiers put condoms and rubber bands around their rifle muzzles to keep out sand. And troops have welded old bulletproof windshields to the tops of Humvees to give gunners extra protection. They have dubbed it "Pope's glass"--a reference to the barriers that protect the pontiff.

Inspiring, isn't it?  I thought so.  Good for our troops.  If you want to donate to the cause - started by a mother of a soldier in Iraq - here is the link with information.

OK, how does this apply to sales professionals?  Simple.  Like the title of this blog entry states, "quit whining and get 'er done."  You, like our troops, are not forbidden to come up with new ways to do your job. 

Your company doesn't pay for a business lunch?  Pay for it yourself and write it off on your taxes.  They don't issue company laptops?  Buy one online...you can get a good one for under $600 now.  They don't offer enough training?  Buy sales and marketing books on your own and attend educational conferences that will make you better.

Our troops can't afford to whine, and they might not be able to wait for a solution from up the chain of command.  Their lives depend on it.  So they invent.  They improvise.  AND THEY GET THE JOB DONE.

You've got it way easier than they do.  Sure, sales is tough.  But come on...you can't compare the two.  But you can take a page from their playbook: Become self-sufficient in your career, and find your own solutions to problems and obstacles that stand in your way.

Successful entrepreneurs and sales professionals won't wait for answers or solutions from "higher ups" in their organizations.  Instead, they live by a motto that I've found to be very helpful in my professional life:  "Its better to beg forgiveness than ask permission." 

In other words, take control of your situation and make it work.  Even if that means using Silly String.