How many times have you felt something in your gut that you know it’s true but there is no good way to prove it? You just have a sense, a feeling, an intuition, that what you are thinking is right but there is just no way to prove it. So, with that in mind here are some things that I have learned over my too many years in this business, that I cannot prove… but I just know they’re true:

1. When you meet a sales team for the first time, the person who talks the most is usually the worst sales person on the team. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true
2. The sales person who swears that sales forecasts don’t work, is the sales person who does not want to be held accountable in any way. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true
3. The inside sales person with the best and most charming personality is not always the best inside sales person. I can’t prove it, but I know it’s true.
4. A shop owner who tells me that his sales reps are all no good, is always a terrible sales manager who doesn’t spend enough time with his reps. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true
5. A General Manager who says that the increase in sales was all about performance and had nothing to do with the sales team, will also tell me that it’s the sales team’s fault when sales are down. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true
6. A designer who refuses to listen to a customer’s advice about his design, is the designer who would benefit the most from that advice. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
7. When a customer tells you, he wants you to be his partner, it usually means it’s going to cost you money without any guarantees of more business. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
8. When a board shop owner says he is going out of business, he has been out of business for five months but hasn’t admitted it to himself yet.
9. When you’re invited to a conference run by customers who are going to show you how to win more business, it usually means they are going to tell you to do everything they want you to do without any regard to your company’s well-being. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
10. When a buyer tells you that you and your competitors are all the same, so he is comfortable buying on price…he is not only lying, but lazy to boot. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
11. When a sales person asks you if you want her to sell of fill out her weekly report, I know she is not a good sales person. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
12. When an owner tells you that business was “way-up”, he is probably lying. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
13. When an owner tells you that business is “way-down” this year she is probably lying. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
14. When someone wants to sell their shop at a reasonable price. It never is…a reasonable price. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
15. When a customer tells you, he has all the board shops he needs…he doesn’t. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
16. When a buyer tells you, he doesn’t know how many dollars of boards he buys every year. He is not telling the truth. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
17. When at the end of the year a customer decided to return two thousand boards for “Quality issues”, it’s really because of inventory issues. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
18. When a candidate for a sales job tells you, he made two hundred thousand dollars last year. What he really means is that he would have made two hundred thousand dollars…if the company had not screwed him and that’s why he’s looking for a new gig. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
19. When a company terminates a rep firm because “they used to be good but aren’t any more”, it really means that the rep is making too much money on the accounts they already brought in. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
20. When someone tells you that PCBs are obsolete and won’t be needed any longer, it usually means that their pcb business has failed and they don’t won’t face the facts that it’s their fault. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.

And now a few things that I just am true as we head into the new year:

• 2018 will be a much better year that 2017. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.
• The shops that commit to serving their customers will succeed in 2018. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true
• The companies that invest in marketing and sales will succeed in 2018. I can’t prove it, but I know that it’s true.

And finally, I hope that all of you have a great holiday season and a safe and prosperous new year. It’s only common sense.