Mindshare Marketing

A colleague of mine once sent me a fantastic article comparing company sales processes to bad marriages (the original article can be found here).  Using sex as a sales model teaches the same thing.

When men (or women) are trying to meet members of the opposite sex, they often put on a facade.  They dress a bit nicer, talk about things they think their potential partner will be interested in (rather than things they are interested in), and they act just a little more politely around their potential partner’s friends.  

After they “seal the deal,” though, they revert back to their everyday selves.  Slacks and a nice shirt change to blue jeans and a beer-stained hoodie.  Personal interests evolve from “making a mark on history” to “finding a way to keep ‘you’ happy so I don’t have to talk as much.”  Polite behavior transforms to hung up phone calls, no shows at dinner, and rude gossip behind people’s backs.

In sales, we see the same behavior.  From the article referenced above, we see a great example of the difference before and after a sale - in marketing collateral.  Advertisements and product brochures are glossy, well put together, easy to understand, and fun to read.  User manuals and other post-sale collateral, on the other hand, is boring.  Black and white print on flat paper with painfully few images.

If this kind of bait-and-switch behavior is frustrating and difficult in a sexual relationship, why do we put up with it in a sales relationship?  If using a facade to get laid is upsetting and disrespectful, what does that say about using a facade to close the sale?

The only way to defeat this problem is to remove the facade.  Take off the mask and figure out what your real personality assets are.  If you dress like a slob, make a conscious effort to rebuild your wardrobe.  If you’re real interests lie not in world peace but weekend keg stands, take some time to figure out why and discover other (more meaningful?) things you might develop a passion for.  If you’re a sarcastic jerk around other people … then this book might not be for you.

Figure out who you are, then you can see the gaps preventing you from becoming who you want to be.  It takes work to move from point A to point B, but if you can manage it you’ll eliminate much of the risk in dating AND in making stellar sales.  It’s all about being someone attractive without having to don a mask.

Happy Turkey Day to everyone!  Enjoy the time off work, spending the day with your families, and watching some stellar football games.  Also, stay tuned for the return of “Sex as a Sales Model” tomorrow!

I haven’t actually received any responses to Wednesday’s post, so I’ll just explain my goals with the material.

In sales, most people like to brag about their accomplishments.  They keep track of progress towards sales goals, margins, and the time it takes to close a sale.  For the majority of salesmen, this information is only discussed with other members of the sales team (after all, it is confidential).  There are a few salesmen, though, who will use their past success as a tool to close a new sale.

A client hesitates and questions a price.  “Can’t you give me just another 2%?  This is a very expensive software package …”

“Listen, I gave this same deal to your competitor last week, and they didn’t even hesitate to take the offer.”

Information about past sales is used to pressure customers into a purchase.  Sometimes they’ll break, but it puts an incredible strain on the relationship.  You don’t want any tools in your sales arsenal that will kill the potential for future sales!

Coming next …

Hiatus - Unfortunately, I will need to take a break for a while to clear out some other large projects on my to-do list. You can expect content to return November 28th (after Thanksgiving). Thank you in advance for your patience!