The economy had taken an unfavorable turn and so had our close rate. Objections were getting tougher – in particular and understandably – the ones about budget. A group of us were commiserating in the sales room. We were worried and wondered how we might bide our time until things loosened up. A vacation perhaps?

Dan, our sales manager, must have been able to hear some of this from wherever he was at the time, because he swooped into the room as he tended to do and said, “Have you guys heard the hot dog story?”