APPLICATION: Know the business cycles of your targeted customers, know when their budgets are set for the year, know when they might be more likely to retain your services. Anticipate their needs. And if you happen to lose out to a competitor, stay in touch with the potential client anyway because opportunity can knock at any moment.

We were recently awarded a quarter-million-dollar project - three months after we lost the bid to a competitor! They had beaten us based primarily by selling their firm's longer standing experience in the region, and they really hyped their overall ability to deliver. Oops! They weren't able to back up their promises, and at the same time, we had taken a gracious, professional approach when initially informed we had lost the bid. When the client decided to do business with us instead, they mentioned this approach as one of the defining factors in their decision.

Stream Principle #3: Fish Will Indeed Bite (Eventually!)

The hardest part of fishing for most of us is having patience, keeping the faith that although the fish may not be biting now, they will eventually. Meanwhile, don't be afraid to reel in your line and try another spot in the lake.

APPLICATION: Learn the timing of a sale. For me, this is a combination of gut instinct and experience, combined with careful interpretation of the client's response. Develop a read on the client; most of them give off signals as to what they're thinking, what they want and when a decision might be coming - even if they don't come right out and tell you. Learning to read and interpret these signals can be an important tool.

We've done presentations convinced we had the project only to lose out, and vice versa. So while we always covered our bases based upon our best interpretation of the client, you're never going to be absolutely correct. In addition to reading the signs, it's always prudent to do your absolute best with every single opportunity.

Stream Principle #4: Understanding The Nuances

Sometimes you never get even a nibble when fishing, doomed to stare at the water and wait... and wait... and wait. But changing bait can help, and so can casting to another spot.

APPLICATION: If you lose a project to a competitor, or if inquiries to a potential customer aren't being acknowledged, it's time to figure out why. Analyze your approach. You may be the most qualified contractor in your market, best prepared to supply a system based upon key factors of performance, price, functionality, reliability and service" but you're obviously not communicating effectively with your customer base. The bottom line is that something needs to change and it won't be your customers - therefore it had better be you!

The same goes for the projects you do win. For example, our lead engineer on a very large job (3,300-seat auditorium) left our firm. It was crucial to look at this from the customer's perspective and be pro-active in maintaining their confidence. Our solution was sending down the new engineer to spend an entire weekend with the technical and production teams on the project. Was this absolutely necessary? In the strictest sense, no. Was it prudent? You bet! The relationship with this client is now stronger than it's ever been.

Stream Principle #5: Enjoy The Trip

The key thing about fishing is that the process should be as enjoyable as the result. Enjoy the experience or why fish at all?

APPLICATION: We have a rule in our office: If you don't laugh by lunch time, you buy lunch for everyone. This type of attitude, where you do your level best to enjoy your work, enjoy your colleagues and try to brighten their day, is infectious. Most importantly, it positively influences your dealings with customers, most of whom would rather deal with positive people, always at the ready to share a joke, to see the humor in life and business.

Simplify your sales process by working smart and having fun. And please, save your $999.95. Use the money for other vital company needs, or at the very least, buy a new fishing pole and pocket the rest!

Gary Zandstra is head of A/V Systems development for Parkway Group of Holland, MI and can be reached at garyz@prosoundweb.com.