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Confession time….Do you watch American Idol? Come on, don’t be shy….
OK, I’m not too proud to admit it. I watch American Idol. But frankly, I only watch the first few episodes. Once they get to Hollywood, I start to lose interest. And why do I like the initial episodes?
Simply stated, American Idol is the best ‘Sales Training’ class on TV.
Seriously, one can learn powerful lessons regarding selling and human relations just by watching these teenagers and 20 somethings interact with the American Idol judges. During these first few episodes, I’ve been blown away with just how many ‘Sales Lessons’ this show teaches. Here are my top 5:
1. Vibe, Spirit, Energy-whatever you want to call it, matters.
Here are a few comments the judges have made so far:
- “I love your positive energy.”
- “You’ve got a great Vibe.”
- “I just love your sparkle.”
- “That guy made me feel dirty.”
- “I just love everything about you.”
As humans, we all are given some type of sixth sense. This sense gives us the ability to react certain ways to the people we come in contact with. Sometimes, all it takes is once glance and our impressions are set in stone. People, whether we want to admit it or not, give us certain positive or negative feelings.
So my question for you is: What type of feelings do your customers get when they first meet you? What type of vibe do you put off? And if you’re putting off a bad vibe and negative energy (like that freaky angry guy with glasses on Idol), what do you need to change in your life in order to become a more welcoming and attractive person?
2. Our story makes quite an impression.
One thing I love about Idol is that it picks in these early rounds contestants who have special stories and backgrounds and does a quick feature on what makes that person unique. This year on Idol, America has already formed attachments to certain ‘underdogs’ and ‘unique’ individuals. To name a few:
-The bubbly Italian from New Jersey who just loves to be with his family.
-The 16 year old girl who has 4 down-syndrome siblings, all of which she loves dearly.
-The extremely poor country girl from Tennessee, whose only ticket out of her town and poverty is American Idol.
-The burly and bald policeman who sings with ease and tranquility.
-The gentleman who overcame cancer to return to his love of singing.
These are just a few examples of people who are ‘underdogs’ and therefore win over the hearts of the judges and the viewers. And what can we learn from this example?
As sales professionals, we mustn’t be afraid to show our personal side to customers. Talking about family, our past, our struggles/triumphs, etc can, if used in the right context, win the hearts of our clients and eventually lead to a sale.
3. Dress/Look the part.
I’m amazed every year by Idol contestants who dress like fools just to get attention. These contestants are automatically at a disadvantage with the judges because of their silly appearance. Many tell the judges, “This is just how I dress. It’s who I am.” But in reality, what they are really saying is, “American Idol is not important enough for me to look appealing to the masses. I’m not ready for superstardom.”
"Yep, this girl has star writtin all over her"...Randy Jackson
In sales, we must always be dressed for success. Our appearance is an absolute reflection of our product, our company, our commitment and our character.
4. You must know how to talk to people.
Sadly, some contestants on Idol shoot themselves in the foot simply because they don’t know how to communicate with the judges. The judges always ask a few questions up front and many contestants then show their dry or unfriendly personality as soon as words leave their mouth. Nobody wants to invest in someone that can’t properly communicate in general conversation, and no one wants to buy from a sales person who can’t even carry normal dialogue.
5. Enthusiasm is Key.
We’ve heard it time and time again, but enthusiasm is such a likeable and desirable characteristic. Some singers on Idol clearly don’t have tremendous talent, but their intangibles, especially their enthusiasm and attitude, can often overcome their singing deficiencies. The same is true for sales people. Not every sales person is the most eloquent presenter in the world. Not everyone can be perfectly witty and timely in almost everything they say. But all of us, and I do mean ALL of us, can show tremendous energy, enthusiasm, and attitude at all times when describing ourselves, our job, our company, and our product.
What’s crazy is that I could easily list another 5 lessons from American Idol but we’ll stop there. Like the judges on Idol, our customers will always receive initial impressions from our actions. These impressions will end up laying the foundation for our future success with this individual, so we can’t take these initial impressions too lightly. So let us learn from A.I. this season and do what it takes in 2010 to make powerful first impressions with all our customers
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There’s one thing I learned from Idol this week Marc:
“Pants on the ground, pants on the ground….Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground.”
Seriously though, these are great insights. I think you’re teaching a wonderful principle. That we can all become better salespeople by observing and learning from how people interact with each other. Thanks for another inspiring article.