If you wanna make Big Money – go into sales. Jeff and I were both hired by Hewlett Packard in the very same week back in 1983. I had a valuable computer science degree, and was hired with the title of Software Support Engineer. Jeff had a crapola marketing degree from Indiana University, and was hired with the title Sales Engineer. (Back then everyone at HP was some kind of fucken’ “engineer”).
My salary was $50,000. I worked very long hours and I was required to be a technical expert on a very large number of disparate products. Jeff hardly ever worked more than a 40-hour week … and a lot of that time was spent entertaining prospects at expensive restaurants, playing golf with them, and even going to titty bars … all paid for in full by HP. Really. I don’t know exactly what Jeff’s total compensation was back in 1983, but I know for a fact it was close to $200k ….. cuz he fucken whined and bitched to me that he didn’t break that barrier. (He would break that barrier every year for the next ten consecutive years.) Also, although he was a very bright fellow, from a technical aspect he didn’t know jack-shit about the products he sold. But, he was very very good at The Art of Bull$hit. Which brings me to the question of the day …
Campaigning to be chosen as the ruler of this country is basically a Sales Job. Therefore, with regards to ONLY this POTUS election cycle;
Q1)- What lessons about sales can we learn from Donald?
Q2)- What lessons about sales can we learn from Hillary?
Introduction to question 3. I still remember the exact help wanted headline; “Sell Exotic Mortgages To High End Clients”. Exotic? Hey, who doesn’t just love ‘exotic’? High end clients? You mean – people with M-O-N-E-Y? Hey, sign me up! So, they did. BTW, “exotic” meant the Option ARM Mortgage — a mortgage with a minimum-payment option — which, if chosen, meant that your mortgage balance would INCREASE.
Let me tell you the absolute truth; I absolutely fully disclosed that inconvenient truth on each and every occasion. I put together a slick little series of PowerPoint slides. I didn’t just show the increasing mortgage balance via some wordy, tiny-font, obscure, legal disclosure form. No. I showed them a full-page bar-chart showing the expected rise in the mortgage balance over each of the five years minimum payments were allowed; “You see here, Mr. Jones, that your loan balance starts out at $300,000. If you make only the minimum payments for the next sixty months, you loan balance could increase to $350,000 … $50,000 higher than it is today.” You would think the proper response 90% of the time would have been; “Huh! Hey, how about you just fuck off with that bullshit and leave!”. Well, you would be wrong. In fact, my close rate was right about 90%. Go figure …..
Q3)- What lessons can we learn about sales based on Voter (buyer) Psychology? (Is it the same regardless of whom the voter chooses or, is the psychology different for a Clinton voter vs. a Trump voter?)
1. We can surmise that Donald is a bullshitter in the standard sales-man mold. He’s not quite sure what he’s selling, he’s not quite sure what you want, but he’s utterly convinced that you need to buy from him.
2. We can surmise that Hillary is not a sales person. She’s not likeable, she easily lies, and is easily caught. She looks somewhat OK on paper until you start poking around her actual credentials. If I had to pin her down to a sales archetype, I’d say she is the CEO’s nepotism hire – someone who knows they will advance no matter how shitty they perform, who only closes the sales that would have bought the product anyways, and who looks down their nose at staff/coworkers, because even though they are “co” workers the truth is her Daddy runs the show, and she is virtually untouchable.
3. Clinton is getting in because Trump has done a piss poor job at preparing for the shit-storm of HRC’s propaganda machine. He thought his years in the spotlight as a D-list celebrity would have prepared him, but that is NOTHING compared to the microscope of a Presidential Campaign. He should have been 100% prepared for bullshit rape charges, racist claims, and Hitler comparisons.
He was prepared for none of them.
What this tells me about the American buyer is that they are prone to sunk-cost fallacy: They have sunk so much time into these idiots that they think they have to choose between them when in fact we have the third option of voting for someone else.
A side-note: This Presidential bid has changed American Politics forever. Now people will be held accountable to off-the wall tweets/posts/emails made 20 years prior, to close personal friends. Is an iPhone around? Watch your language, if there is any chance you want to run for office a single off-color or poorly timed joke is enough to derail your bid.
If you want to run for office and are not the establishment’s pick you better be squeaky clean electronically.
Good fucking luck.
Chemist, you are dead on about hillary. But I think you need to study Trump some more. I think he knows exactly what he’s selling. He hasn’t wavered off what he intends to do for the five years I’ve been watching him. Basically, he is squeaky clean. They’ve piled on him now for the last year and a half, and all they’ve come up with is that he likes pretty woman. Imagine that. That ought to disqualify him, eh? As for being prepared, there is no such thing. Everybody has a plan, until the shooting starts. What he has done is amazing. I don’t think anybody else could have pulled it off. In a country of 300 million people. Be thankful for Don Trump. Guys like him don’t come along every day.
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth” Iron Mike Tyson
Yeah Kevin, I was paraphrasing. Thanks for giving Mike due credit.
Trump is the bull in the china shop and you’d better not wave a red flag in front of him.
Clinton is the nimble deer but as soon as she gets in the headlights she freezes.
‘On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.’
H.L Mencken
It’s not what you say, but how you say it. Hillary talks in a calm confident manner, but the words that come out of her mouth are utter bullshit. Like for example her line about growing the economy by “investing in the middle class” and her horseshit about “free tuition”. But there are lot of brain dead people ( my mother-in-law is one) who eat this shit up.
Hitlery’s deflection when confronted about her desire for open borders at the 3rd debate really ticked me off. The shady cunt tried to say she was talking about energy. Total bullshit!
the psychology of a Democratic/HRC voter is one who still believes that “buying an american made car” is good for the country, not realizing that the car is made in mexico, with korean parts.
they also love obamacare, cause they don’t pay any federal income tax.
the trump voter, on the other hand, no longer believes in anything the political class says, and wants someone who appears to be an outsider.
unfortunately for all concerned parties, nothing will ever change, except the prices
Sales? Meh. Math was always my thing. I developed a stock market indicator. And it has generated a buy signal today. I am going long SPY Nov 217 calls at just over $1. The 200dma is looming ominously but I try not to focus on that, or on the election and its implications, or on anything except what my indicator is saying. If all goes well those calls could hit $3.
Good luck the smart money is buying SPY puts. Look at the numbers.
The success of the salesperson depends largely on the social mood (or mood of the individual) they are dealing with. If a person can read mood and personality they can sell better. I train my staff to ask questions and pay attention to how clients respond. If you push to hard on the wrong person they will walk. If you undersell the wrong person they will walk or buy without leaving the amount of money on the table they were willing to drop in the first place.
Donald is a master of reading mood. He has harnessed the mood not only of the good ole USA but of the western world in general. His facts are shaky and his ability to communicate them suspect but he is the master of matching and spurring on the mood of the people. He could sell ice to eskimos in the right environment. Hillary doesn’t have a clue about mood. She is too narcissistic and focused on herself to read the mood of the people in general. She has too strong of a sense of entitlement to sell well. She believes she is the chosen one and that the little people should vote for her because of it. This might have gotten her by (simply based on her name) a few decades ago in a more stable political environment but not today. If the people are angry then a successful salesman needs to be angry too and for the same reason.
I can almost guarantee that many of those voting democrat are doing so out of habit and loyalty to the party – not because they like Hillary. She is clearly not likeable and a shitty, shitty salesman.
Stucky, your Option Arm borrowers wanted what they wanted and you couldn’t have stopped them. I don’t know how they got to you – or you to them. I remember the signs stuck in the ground at exits ramps that said “$300,000 loan for $800/month” call 555-555-5555. Your universe of borrowers may have been self-selected as profligate spenders.
As to Trump/Clinton, he tells the truth more often. If she ever tells the truth it’s by accident. I don’t really care whether it was thousands of Muslims in NJ who celebrated 9-11 or merely hundreds. The truth is that a lot of Muslims in the US – like Muslims elsewhere – were glad to see the US get whacked. We also have a lot of “bad hombres” from Mexico. Trump is more truthful. It’s not like his telling the truth more sensitively would have made any difference. Hell, they went after Romney because he used the word “binders” (folders) as if he’d wanted women in shackles. If Trump loses, it’ll because he told the truth too much. The American electorate doesn’t deserve any better than Clinton. I just hope we don’t get what we deserve.
I guess I should have read your comment before repeating your idea and sounding like a hack.
Self-selected sounds good. People are always looking to buy or looking for a better deal. A good salesman is always looking to fill the bill.
The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
A good salesperson is at first a good listener.
nkit
Yup I had to read it twice but I agree… just kidding man. 🙂
My Brother is good at sales. He is selling tractors right now during day and muni politician at night… Good Salesman is a good listener yes but needs to be equal parts good talker. As for Trump he does this well and seems to understand what buttons to push. But I don’t think it matters anymore. Hillary is going to be President.
Iska is right the American electorate doesn’t deserve any better than Clinton. Before anyone jumps on me about being Canuck and saying this I’d like to add that if The Not so Great White North was allowed to vote it would be landslide for Hillary. So things are even worse here if that could be possible..
How about those Cubbies. Too bad about the Jays but small ball, pitching and a bit of luck wins in playoffs. They had the pitching but not much else. 4 & 5 were 2 for 32. Steep hill to climb when those hitters are going like that.
RiNS,
Indeed a good salesperson must be a good talker as well as a good listener. Been in sales most of my life. Generally, people will tell you what they want or don’t want, what interests them and what doesn’t. If one listens closely to the potential buyer and then uses his or her talking skills to address that need or want, he or she will greatly increase their odds of being successful, product knowledge being a given.
I admit I have not much interest in this year’s World Series. Maddon deserted the Rays, so for all I care they can go another 110 years without a title. Further, I have no love for Cleveland (which is why I was pulling for our feathered friends in the Great White North). In short, I don’t have a dog or even a cat in this fight. Small ball, pitching and defense – the mainstay of the Rays until Andy Friedman went to L.A. (traitorous bastidge that he is) a couple of years ago. Pitching and defense let us down this past season. Indeed , someone pulled the power cord out of the socket for the Jays at a really horrible time. Maybe the third time will be a charm for the Jays next year. Oh well, pitchers and catchers report in about 20 weeks.
I fixed this as I was supposed to be answering Stucky’s questions…
Q1) – A company can have best product in world and still fail in market if the people promoting it are dropping the ball….Likely why Hillary will suck as a Prez. Maybe Trump can do it. Maybe. He does have the gift to be able to control a room and conversation. I find it amazing that MSM and Donkeys keep falling into his traps.
Q2) – Napalm in Morning. That is her strategy 24/7. She doesn’t even care if folks know about it.
Almost Hilarious…
enough of the puns.
Q3) – 2 hours to beer o’clock.. the voters don’t care just pass another.
I forgot about Madden. 110 years is a long time. I can’t help but feel sorry for Cub fans. Looks like they are going to make it. Maybe Bartman decides to come out of hiding and fuck things up again. Now that would be funny. I don’t really have a Dog in fight anymore either but still a good ball game has always been a greater diversion for me. Getting tired of watching news on TV anyways.
20 weeks eh! I am hoping third time is the charm but looks like team is about to come apart because of UFA’s. We’ll see how it goes!
That last bit might be a better answer to question 3. I haven’t been able to make up my mind.
Q1)- What lessons about sales can we learn from Donald?
Coffee is for closers. Sales is the highest paid, and the lowest paid, profession in the world. Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.
Q2)- What lessons about sales can we learn from Hillary?
You eat what you kill. Take no prisoners. Lie, cheat and steal. Rules don’t matter. Only money matters because money is power. Whoever controls the gold, makes the rules. Customers and clients are just marks to be played. The short con is fine, but the payoff on the long con is better. Grifters are great. Greed is good and always be generous with other peoples money in order to garner support.
Q3)- What lessons can we learn about sales based on Voter (buyer) Psychology? (Is it the same regardless of whom the voter chooses or, is the psychology different for a Clinton voter vs. a Trump voter?)
Clients always want something new and exciting, but when it is presented to them, they are afraid to try it. To say it another way: in spite of their claims otherwise, most want something tried and true as opposed to the unknown. Hillary voters are like that. They are buying on the false premise of security, or in other words, social security, SNAP cards, disability payments, Hillary’s political experience, etc. Little do they know how bad they are being conned, but they have bought the advertising/fear mongering from the MSM hook line and sinker. In truth, they love the status quo and why risk anything else?
Trump supporters are trading in for a new model because their old one is junk.
EC – That was a great great movie. IMO.
I know nothing about sales. I’ve read that we all engage in selling ourselves.
I have said before that people find like-minded people through the use of code words. Drug addicts find drug vendors, adulterers find dissatisfied wives, politicians find supporters.
The same thing happens in situations like the example you gave, two unprincipled persons acting in the roles of seller and buyer collude to have a good time on the bosses’ dime and we get $10,000 toilet seats or HP products that do everything but scrub the grout in your shower. The extra features in HP products are probably folded into the sales price and the buyer justifies it to his boss that way. Nobody asks, why buy a Swiss army knife when all you need is a bottle cap opener? But that is another topic for later.
The fact that somebody thought the song Time of My Life was appropriate to describe the great time Hillary and the Donald have had in their respective rallies playing to the mobs of pussy lickers and pussy grabbers says something about the collusion between seller and buyer that the rest of America will pay for.
Whoever wins brings with them the additional unwanted features nobody knew they were getting. They were promised a wall or legalization. They also got more regulations, war, police shakedowns, increased surveillance, higher taxes, etc. These are the additional features they will remind us, hey, you voted for it.
Four years later they will offer candidates to fix some of those unwanted features.
Stucky,
I didn’t figure you as the technical type, selling shitty mortgages and flat out telling your customers they are shitty mortgages I can imagine you doing. The best place to hide bullshit is usually right out in the open.
Q1)- What lessons about sales can we learn from Donald? Donald speaks to the disenfranchised pissed off people – about 1/2 the country. Basically the sales pitch is that you have every right to be pissed and he’s pissed off with you. Unfortunately Donald is only a salesperson and has not the faintest clue how the product works. The sales lesson is that pretty much any dumbass can sell you something. Sell big and sell loud.
Q2)- What lessons about sales can we learn from Hillary? Hillary speaks to the useless eaters and the people that just gave up for whatever reason. The absolute dye in the wool Hillary supporters are the timid and the poor. She needs their votes (about 1/2 the country) but she also needs wall street’s money to get those votes. To be honest it’s quite interesting watching a snake eat its own tail. The sales lesson here is that you have to have at least 2 opposite personalities. In order to sell you may have to lie and lie you will, just don’t forget to smile.
Q3)- What lessons can we learn about sales based on Voter (buyer) Psychology? (Is it the same regardless of whom the voter chooses or, is the psychology different for a Clinton voter vs. a Trump voter?)
In many ways I think the psychology is the same. The rabid supporters for both candidates wants to be told and to believe that someone that comes from the sky in an airplane or comes to their town on a big bus is going to care about them and help them. For whatever reason they want and need to believe someone gives a shit about them and these voters have the incredible ability to forgive and forget the decades worth of people lying to them and shitting on them. This customer demographic is roughly 75% of the country so business is projected to continue.
I like engineers. They keep the trains running on time!
The handing out of engineer titles is still alive and well. The place I work for hands ’em out like candy. I insisted on remaining a lowly “technician”. One of the front office people bestowed upon himself the title of engineer despite only having a degree in chemistry. He introduced himself to me as and engineer and told me about the chemistry degree. I asked where he got his engineering degree but was met with much hemming and hawing and a clear effort to change the topic. I pushed a bit further in a questioning tone with “railroad?”. A little while later I gave him a railroad engineers hat. That chapped his ass which was the desired effect. The funniest thing is that his official role with the company is as a salesman.
Seeing how we’re ALL in sales at some point in our lives — even if it’s “only” the selling of our ideas, and it IS the world’s oldest profession — I thought for sure this thread would hit 100.
Nevertheless, the quality of the commentary has been outstanding.
Too bad I wasn’t around yesterday to participate. Been swamped with doing stuff both here and with my parents. I’m resurfacing the concrete front porch and steps … and got hit with a sudden strong rain shower out of the clear blue … which fucked up a lot of my work. Mother Nature forced me to hit the Concrete Reset button. That fucken’ bitch.