bluebird

n. in business, an unexpected, very profitable, or easily made sale. Subjects: English, Business, Slang

Etymological Note: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “bluebird” connoting “happiness” dates to at least as early as 1909.

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Citations: 1990 Gordon Matthews American Banker (Nov. 21) “Anticipated Loan Sales by Banks Put Bloom Back on Sallie Mae Series: 3” vol. 155, no. 227, p. 1: “Given that the environment favors such action at the large, troubled, earnings-strapped banks, the possibility looms for a large ‘bluebird’ sale,” he said, referring to a transaction on highly favorable terms to the buyer. 1991 Sandra L. Kurtzig, Tom Parker CEO: Building a $400 Million Company from the Ground Up p. 88 @ (May, 1994): In exchange for this “bluebird”—a sale that flies in the window—I said I’d have to have access to a 3000. 1992 Wall Street Transcript (Dec. 21) “Roundtable Discussion Audio Video Home Products” vol. CXVIII, no. 12,: Welch got rid of a strategic albratross, got a strategic bluebird, got essentially $1 billion in the hopper, and got out of the consumer electronics business. 1996 Lawrence E. Koslow Business Abroad: A Quick Guide to International Business Transactions (Apr. 15) p. 60: The flip side of this is the “blue bird” sale, where the product is offered at, say, 100 with full expectation that it will sell for 90, but the customer either pays list or selects several high-priced options. 2002 FD (Fair Disclosure) Wire (July 25) “Q1 2003 California Micro Devices Earnings Conference Call - Final”: That actually was a bit of a blue bird, I’d have to say.…They had actually as a customer been dormant for some time. And then apparently their business must have started picking up because all of a sudden they came back and wanted quite a bit of product. And so last quarter we had a—what I would call a catch up quarter, and I would not expect the ongoing business to be at the same level. 2005 Marc Chabot Winning New Customers (Apr. 15) p. 130: Blue Bird—A sale that is made as a result of a customer or prospect contacting a company to purchase its product. Very little effort is required to win the account. 2005 Tony Beshara The Job Search Solution (Nov. 30) p. 151: Her quota production is correct, but since she was the first salesperson in the company, she got a lot of “blue-bird” sales that came to her because she was the first, and for a while, the only salesperson in the company [2006 Voxant FD (Fair Disclosure) Wire (Feb. 8) “Q4 2005 PolyOne Corporation Earnings Conference Call - Final”: The pre-tax number was—well, depending on how you slice it, the pre-tax number was 8 or 9, and I would say that, you know, on a non, kind of a bluebird basis, that number is probably closer to 5.] 2006 Voxant FD (Fair Disclosure) Wire (Apr. 27) “Q1 2006 I-many, Inc. Earnings Conference Call - Final”: We took a fairly conservative first that did not include the so-called bluebird deal that traditionally this company has had over the last year. Last year it was premier. You know, in previous years, it’s been companies like Lilly that there’s always the one mega deal, so you obviously don’t plan for it. You don’t budget for it. But, you know, we know there is always one lurking around someplace. 2007 Vinnie Mirchandani deal architect (Florida) (Jan. 15) “To Kill a Bluebird”: In sales lingo, bluebirds are those opportunities that fly in the window with the salesperson not having to lift a finger. In some sourcing deals I do, I get the opportunity to deliver bluebirds—at least get some vendors in the long list.

Posted 11 Jul 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend