In January 1848, James Wilson Marshall discovered gold while constructing a saw mill along the American River northeast of present-day Sacramento. The discovery was reported in the San Francisco newspapers in March, but caused little stir as most did not believe the account.
The spark that ignited the gold rush occurred in May 1848 when Sam Brannan, a storekeeper in Sutter's Creek, brandished a bottle filled with gold dust around San Francisco shouting ”Gold! Gold! Gold from American River!” The residents of the city now had proof of the discovery and the stampede to the gold fields was on.
It is now May 2009 and there are once again rumors of gold in the hills. Everyone wants to stake their claim. But is your company ready to cash in on the opportunity? Among the many signs of optimism and financial recovery -- the stock market (DJIA pictured below) has begun a slow but steady climb after bottoming out at around 6500. Ironically, as the signs of spring are all around us, the first signs of the economy emerging from a cold hard winter are beginning to bloom as well.
Now before you pack up and head out to pan for gold, you might want to make sure you are up to the task. Many companies are in a weakened state of readiness after the layoffs, cut backs, and belt tightening that was required to survive the last year. If your team has suffered staff, training and travel cuts, do they now stand ready for the task ahead?
One of the many services offered by Carew International is a “Sales Force Audit,” which allows companies to assess their readiness to strike gold in the coming months. Through a combination of predictive assessments and analysis of such things as pipeline strength, you can determine how well your firm is positioned to capitalize on future opportunity. Do you have enough people? Do you have the right people? Are your team members’ skills up to the challenge? Do you have enough in the pipeline? Are you mining in the right place? Answering these and other questions are the first steps to striking gold in the near future.
If you analyze any gold rush in history, you will discover a few common denominators. Those who “struck it rich” combined the ability to get there first, pick the right spot, and work the claim hard in order to maximize the opportunity. It took vision, resilience, perseverance, and a little luck back then. It will require no less today. Will you be ready for the 2009 gold rush?
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