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Complete Story
09/09/2026
Read the Room
Source: Bill Farquharson, September 7, 2026
Playing golf in a two-day event at a highfalutin course in St. Louis a few weeks ago now, I encountered two wildly different caddies.
Mine was Nolan. He was very quiet at first, waiting for me to let him know where I needed him.
Nolan was reading the room.
My playing partner, Ahmed had Will. He jumped right in and completely took over Amhed’s life. Will read putts, dictated where the shot would go, and told Ahmed which club to use…
…all of which was done unsolicited.
Day one, I let it go, assuming Ahmed had asked him for help. The second day, when Will’s habit of sharing endless unspoken thoughts started coming my way, I very quickly, directly, and (probably rudely) shut him down.
Nolan got a fresh Benjamin for his efforts. Will got a lump of coal.
Read. The. Room.
Each new sales relationship is a chance to look for signals on how to communicate, how to behave, and which buttons to push in order to make a sale. To some, you might be a helpful contributor. To others, you are annoying. A good salesperson (and a good caddy) observes first and acts second, shape-shifting and adapting the message so it can be heard.
There is no one-size-fits-all relationship. If there were, Will would be $100 richer, too.
Read. The. Room.
The Sales Vault, created by Bill Farquharson, is a subscription-based resource and sales community featuring a calendar packed with live workshops, on-demand sales courses, peer-to-peer discussion groups, and 35+ years of sales training content all searchable by sales challenge. Think of it as a sales conference where the seminars and workshops, full of instantly applicable ideas, are ongoing and more programs are added constantly.
The Sales Vault is available on a monthly subscription basis, normally at a no-brainer monthly price of $45/participant, but… GMA members can take advantage of an exclusive offer: FREE membership for 30 days followed by a discounted monthly subscription price of just $40/participant.
Bill has been a friend of GMA for many years and is, no doubt, known to our members as a top sales trainer and content creator for the graphic arts.
Other Vault resources:
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Read MoreRead the Room
Sometimes the difference between making the sale and missing the opportunity has nothing to do with what you’re selling. It’s knowing your audience. The tale of two caddies serves as the inspiration for this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip from Bill Farquharson. One walked away $100 richer, while the other got a lump of coal. Find out why.
Read More