Where are the results from all the systems?

For as long as I have been watching and have been active in this part of the WF, rarely has a week gone by where there is not a thread about the discovery of a new "system" as a method of getting business. These threads usually start with a phrase such as:

"what do you think?" or "this is what I plan to do" or similar sentiments. In recent weeks I can recall things like offering free websites for 6 months, taking prospects out for coffee, suggesting that you want to interview a prospect for a paper, and most recently, cheese and whiskers.

These threads, almost of necessity, generate a great deal of debate. Many times the debate becomes absolutely hostile, and eventually the tone becomes such that many of us just walk away shaking our cyber head in disbelief.

Besides these threads, the threads that appear more often are those that speak of a recent success in a marketing effort. We come here to post these threads for many reasons. We post them to teach, to share, to encourage, and maybe just because we feel like telling someone!

If you look back on these threads you'll find that they are about using traditional marketing and sales methods. Some are about email, some about direct mail, some about cold calling, and on down the line. What ties these together is the fact that they all employ traditional, ethical, and intelligent sales skills.

However, I've never seen one about one of the "systems" that were so enthusiastically debated being used successfully. Surely after some nearly violent debate someone would want to come back to say "I told you so!"

The only conclusion that I am able to come to from this is that there is no short cut to sales. The time spent (not to mention money) looking for slick ways to get in front of qualified prospects might be better spent learning and understanding what selling actually is.

Thanks for letting me vent.