--- title: Ready! Set! Sale! description: "I struggle with the words \"Sell\" and \"Sales\" because I know that many people, even salespeople are afraid of the word. It's a dirty word. Salespeople" --- # [SELLING IN THE 21ST CENTURY](https://www.rickroberge.com/) [![header-sm-linkedin-blue](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-465400397-png/images/header-sm-linkedin-blue.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickroberge) [![header-sm-twitter-blue](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-465371692-png/images/header-sm-twitter-blue.png)](https://twitter.com/RainMakerMaker) [![header-sm-google-plus-red](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-462412948-png/images/header-sm-google-plus-red.png)](https://plus.google.com/+RickRoberge/posts) [![header-sm-rss](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-480298330-png/images/header-sm-rss.png)](https://www.rickroberge.com/rss.xml) # [Science for Sales Rock Stars](https://www.rickroberge.com/) ## [Ready! Set! Sale!](https://www.rickroberge.com/Blog/bid/342024/Ready-Set-Sale) ![](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/RR.jpg?width=35&height=35&name=RR.jpg) By [Rick Roberge](https://www.rickroberge.com/author/rick-roberge)   Oct 14, 2013, 12:12:00 PM Happy Christopher Columbus Day! I found an article titled "15 Interesting Facts About Christopher Columbus" and I wanted to share a few thoughts about some of them. 3\. Christopher Columbus began a career as a seafarer at the age of fourteen and later supported himself by selling maps and charts. (Probably couldn't get a real job. So started selling what he knew?) 4\. Christopher Columbus believed that Asia would be 2,400 miles west. In fact, 10,000 nautical miles lay between Europe and Asia. (Success is usually further away than you think even if you over plan and over analyze.) 5\. Christopher Columbus first went to King John of Portugal with his idea to find a westward sea passage to Asia but after months of waiting, the answer was no thank you. (Even kings will go into hiding and not return your calls.) 6\. Queen Isabella's response to Columbus's idea was that his price was to high and that he wanted too many ships. (The price is too high? Is that a real objection?) 8\. It took Queen Isabella six years to agree. Christopher Columbus, having given up, was four miles out of town when the Queen's courier caught up with him and shared the news. (If he had given up sooner, would he have gotten the deal quicker?) 9\. It wasn't easy to get the money or the ships, but it was even harder to find a crew. Many people still believed that the earth was flat and that at some point a ship would hit a waterfall and fall off of the side of the earth. (Good employees that see your vision are tough to find.) 14\. On Christmas Eve, Christopher Columbus allowed an experienced boy to steer the Santa Maria and later that night the ship crashed onto a reef near Hispaniola. Only the Nina and Pinta would return to Spain. (Just because somebody has experience, that doesn't mean that they can get you where you want to go.) I hope that you enjoyed my holiday thoughts. Also, in case you missed it... Last week, Sarah McIntyre published **[What to say after "Hello"? Sales skills for an inbound world](http://www.brightinbound.com.au/inbound-marketing-blog/bid/97206/What-to-say-after-Hello-Sales-skills-for-an-inbound-world)** in Sydney, Australia. A guest post by me! Yippee. I'm down under! Frank's gonna be jealous! Notice that she's offering my "Stupid Human Tricks for salespeople using LinkedIn". Enjoy it if you haven't already and if you're a Hubspotter and would like to use something I've mine, let me know. Also, last week, Sold Magazine put my picture on **[their cover](http://www.calameo.com/read/00052427052332c4a0068)**. Finally, two things to watch for..... One of the awesomest Hubspot partners asked me to write a foreword for their ebook "B2B Selling in the Age of the Customer." Of course I agreed and I think it will be ready shortly. Also, I'll be collaborating with another partner on their ebook on how to use **[Signals](http://www.getsignals.com/)** for profit. Have I told you that I love Signals. You can get signals for free now and watch here for the upcoming ebook. Is 2014 gonna be your year to rock? Wanna be a rock star? **[Now's the time](https://www.rickroberge.com/exclusive-sales-rock-star-program/)**! BTW, here's the rest of the **[Christopher Columbus article](http://rickroberge.com/exclusive-sales-rock-star-program)**. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Want updates as they're published? #### Enter your email: BTW, do you have an idea or question that would make a good article? Would you like to write or co-author it? Either way, **[send me an email](mailto:therainmakermaker@gmail.com?Subject=Blog%20article/author%20idea)**. **[Rick Roberge](https://plus.google.com/116082120720832878924/posts?rel=author)** ## About this blog *This blog is for, by and about Sales Rock Stars, RainMakers, Entrepreneurs (and/or those that strive to be)* ## [Read My Articles on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/rickroberge) ## [About Rick](https://www.rickroberge.com/contact-me) **[The Original](http://therainmakermaker.com/)[RainMaker Maker Blog (pre-2012)](http://therainmakermaker.com/)** [**Remote Bookkeeping**](http://www.slcbookkeeping.com/blog/bid/116710/remote-bookkeeping-made-easy)[**Made Easy**](http://www.slcbookkeeping.com/blog/bid/116710/remote-bookkeeping-made-easy) [**Awesome Website Design**](https://www.inbounddesignstudio.com/contact/) Search RainMakers & Sales Rock Stars Search ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Posts by Month - [November 2025 (19)](https://www.rickroberge.com/archive/2025/11) - 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