The Window of Opportunity | Travel Research Online

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The Window of Opportunity

Here is a story I think you might connect with.

When I was a little boy, my grandmother and my two aunts lived in the country. It was affectionately known as “The Farm.” In fact, it is where I live now. The Farm was where the grandchildren spent the summer months. “Sweet corn and bonfires” was the family motto during those days spent in the fresh air.

The truth was that our parents “farmed” us out to the country each summer and that was okay by us.

Our summer home was an old farmhouse – with non functioning windows. You had to open them and prop them up with a folding screen. This was before air conditioning came into vogue so I’m dating myself. Can you picture the screen holding up the window to allow air to flow through the kitchen? Stay with me.
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Picture a bunch of old folks sitting around the kitchen table talking. And being in the country, there was always an abundance of flies. To combat these little critters my grandmother hung a spiral sticky thing from the overhead light. Younger readers are probably lost by now. (What’s a sticky thing?) You oldsters know exactly what I am talking about. The sticky thing catches flies.

Remember, it was in the country; a lot of flies, sticky things hanging from the lights; screens in the windows; old folks at the table; grandkids running in and out slamming the screen door. Got it?

I remember always seeing a bunch of dead flies in the window sill. They died attempting to reach freedom by trying to exit through the screened window to no avail. If they were not captured by the sticky thing, they died by trying to bang there way to freedom through the screen.

All the while, the kids would be running in and out of the screen door, which was situated right next to the window. The door was swinging open and slamming closed all day long, while the flies were trying to gain their freedom through the screen. Slam! Slam! Slam!

Here comes the message. The smart flies would take a moment to analyze the situation. Screened window to the left. Swinging door to the right. If freedom was their goal, they would back off and simply wait for a kid to open their exit route so they could fly out the door easy-peasy. How convenient would that be? How logical is that solution?

Most of the flies accepted the challenge and continued to beat themselves to death trying to fly through an immovable object.

I always remember that farm … and the window … and the door … and the flies. That is a true story, but one with a lesson that has served me well for over 60 years. Now when I am confronted with a sales problem, I simply back off, wait for that swinging door of opportunity to open, and follow the path to success more often than not.


Mike MarchevMike presents a business-building webinar on the third Thursday of every month sponsored by AmaWaterways. To receive a complimentary invitation send Mike an email with the phrase “AmaWaterways” in the Subject Box. You will also receive a link to the recorded version.

For information on Mike’s 6-Week Online Selling Course, email Mike at mike@mikemarchev.com with the words “sales course” in the subject box.

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