David Obbee's (obbee) Blog

My wife does most of the cooking in our house... ok, all of it.  It's not that I can't cook, it's just that I have two basic methods: 1) heating frozen food, which is quick, doesn't make much mess, but is hated by my wife; or 2) making a nice meal, which takes me two hours and uses just about eve...

I am a book junkie.  I love to read- for pleasure, for knowledge, for relaxation... I'll read just about anything, from novels to science texts.  And, of course, I enjoy reading about sales.  I thought I would share a few books that have influenced my approach to sales over the years, and maybe y...

Gosh, I love coffee.  Can you imagine a sales office without it?  At Obbee, the pots get remade all day long.  Admittedly, I am a caffeine addict, but I love the smell of a fresh cup o' joe, and I love the "pick-me-up" feel I get from a warm mug, especially first thing in the morning. If caffeine...

I was talking with my wife about someone we know who is a very... "difficult" person.  We've come to the realization that, for better or worse, this person will not change- as most people don't.  The analogy I came up with to help us deal with the situation was likening it to the weather: If it's...

I am always intrigued by how sales permeates every aspect of business, no matter what field or industry.  My wife, for example, is an attorney.  She has a successful practice, combining a good mix of ongoing smaller, general cases with a few larger ones each year.  Almost all of her clients are r...

I was worrying a bit at breakfast this morning (before I had my coffee) about not knowing what to write about today.  My oldest daughter asked what I usually put in my blogs, and I told her I try to write about sales.  Being the helpful child that she is, she looked around the room and suggested ...

Well, I've been blogging for a whole week now, and I'd like to thank everyone who has posted comments so far.  One of the many facets of sales I have enjoyed over the years is the sense of community and support among professionals in the field.  Sure, it's competitive out there- but I've always f...

Last night I stopped to pick up a pizza on the way home from the office.  As always, because I am so interested in sales and marketing, I examined the store's advertisements to see if I could pick up any pointers.  The flyers looked nice: pictures of tasty food with graphics and coupons... but I ...

My 2nd-grade daughter had a school project to do over the weekend.  She had to pick her favorite land mass and make a diorama.  She chose to make an island.  So, the first thing I did was have her make a sketch of what her island would look like.  Based on that, we went to the store and purchased...

MLK Day: I remember, years ago, hearing the president of a mortgage company give a speech to his sales force.  In it, he cited part of an address from Martin Luther King, Jr.  The quote is as follows: "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted...