--- title: Coronavirus vs. You... and the Winner is... description: "#1 mindset for salespeople." image: https://www.rickroberge.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202020-05-03%20at%207.37.00%20AM.png --- # [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/) ## [Coronavirus vs. You... and the Winner is...](https://www.rickroberge.com/coronavirus-vs.-you...-and-the-winner-is) ![](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)   May 10, 2020, 7:25:10 AM Have you been watching all the sales experts give their 3 step plans on how to survive or thrive? The truth is that they're not wrong. Buy their book, software or webinar, but understand that if you don't get one thing first, you'll be wasting your time and money and you may not win against the Coronavirus. I'll share three stories from this week that will help make my point. ## First story As you may know, I live at Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport, ME which is in York County. We have cases of Coronavirus here, but not nearly as badly as Massachusetts, New York or New Jersey. We also have a local newsletter that keeps us abreast of local events. These are two of the graphs from Friday's email. ![New Cases York County](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%2012.06.21%20PM.png?width=350&name=Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%2012.06.21%20PM.png)![York County Active Cases](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%2012.06.58%20PM.png?width=350&name=Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%2012.06.58%20PM.png) Notice that the number of active cases in York declined for several weeks meaning that more people were getting better than getting sick. Theoretically, the new cases eventually reaches zero and everybody gets better. So, that there are no active cases. Then, we can open up to a new normal.   However, this was a tough week and all of those new cases now have to recover or die and we have to get new cases to zero before we can get back to thinking about opening up anything. The sooner business owners, residents and visitors realize this, the sooner we can all get back to enjoying our town.   Unfortunately, some people care more about not wearing masks (like POTUS) or social distancing like the idiots on the beaches that we saw on the news than in keeping YOUR grandmother alive. They're not bad people, just self-absorbed. --- ## Second story Our town has a Board of Selectmen, Planning Board and several other groups that decide how to run the town of Kennebunkport. We also have advisory committees that represent various interests in town, for instance the Beach Advisory Committee represents the interests of Goose Rocks Beach where I live. Maine is one of the 43 states that is trying to reopen for business. Our governor has suggested phases that would allow retail, hospitality, restaurants, etc. This week, the boards were discussing how to phase reopening of our beaches, stores, restaurants and hotels, but still comply with the 14 day quarantine included in the governor's executive order. One hotel owner wanted to announce that the restrictions would be lifted by July 1 to allow tourists to book their vacations and trust the tourists to quarantine for the first 14 days that they are in Maine. If the tourist only books two nights or a week, how can they quarantine for two weeks. Before I go further, check out this chart. ![Covid cases per capita by state](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%203.42.28%20PM.png?width=680&name=Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%203.42.28%20PM.png) ![Maine Covid cases per capita](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%203.42.56%20PM.png?width=680&name=Screenshot%202020-05-09%20at%203.42.56%20PM.png)Guess where most of our visitors come from. Hint: Look at the top chart. Now look at the bottom chart. Maine has 88 cases per 100K residents. Our visitors are coming from areas that are 10-20 times as infected. I am not anti business. I am not anti tourism. I've lived in two of the states on the top chart and I have friends and relatives in all five and I can understand why people from there want to come here. I did. But, is it fair to allow visitors that are 20 times as likely to be infected to come infect my friends here? That's not the point. The motel owner doesn't care about your grandmother getting infected and dying. All they care about is renting their rooms. They understand everything that I've said. They just don't care. --- ## Third story I voted for Trump. This week, both he and Pence were notified that somebody in their inner circle had tested positive for Coronavirus *but they both continue to refuse to wear a face covering.* That is not the right example to be setting for my children and grandchildren. Do as I say, not as I do? Why won't they wear a mask if they think we should? --- So, have you figured it out? The one thing that you need to know? There could be 27 things great about what you sell. Everybody and the mother in the next town over could be buying it. You could have a 20 year track record, 117,000 happy customers, or awesome reviews. Your data might back up what you call facts, but... *What you think doesn't matter.* Everybody has an agenda. Everybody is self-absorbed. You don't sell anything until you uncover and understand the other person's agenda and self-absorption. They will not buy for any of your reasons. Only their own and if you can't help them identify what they are, you're wasting your time. You can share thoughts or reactions publicly, on **[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rickroberge_coronavirus-vs-you-and-the-winner-is-activity-6665213836766830592-DkHv)** or **[Twitter](https://twitter.com/RainMakerMaker/status/1259448144863035392)** or **[privately here](https://www.rickroberge.com/contact-me)**. - [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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