People look for what to expect before
they try something new. They want us to signal a level of excitement,
clues to what is good, something they can believe in.
When was the last time you met a car
salesman as exciting as a car commercial?
“But I was taught to listen to the
customer...” So was the door at Macy’s, but at least it opens as
I walk up to it. Show some action, some optimism!
The bad news is not all offerings are
leaders in every way. The good news is no buyer has time to listen to
everything. They are looking for someone to give them the buyer’s
summary. What you choose to communicate is important.
The losers call it “spin,” but I’d
rather have spin than a depressed definition. If you talk about false
things, you’ll be discovered, but I can define a belief structure
that differs markedly from what the doubters think, that customers
will use to defend their choice forever. Optimism becomes the reality
for those taking action.
The crime is when internal
representatives are too tired or too “professional” to extoll the
good. Why show up for work, when you could just fax it in?
I have been accused of only
representing exciting offers. Here’s a secret, they weren’t
exciting before I got there, and that excitement became a key part of
each buyer’s beliefs.
I was part of the name tag table for a
user group, and the people from the sponsoring company were just
bored, tired, worn out.
Did I understand their best whatisit?
I’m an English major! Would you like fries with that?
But as we got each person registered,
tagged and goody bagged, as they walked into the main show I kept
saying, “Welcome to Hogwarts!”
Smiles, straightening up, looking
forward.
Setting Expectations. The neighborly
thing to do.
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