Years ago my boss made our whole sales staff read a book about the art of selling. The only thing I could think while I was reading it was that I wanted to give a copy to each one of my customers. I wanted to tell them, “You know, you should read this. I have all these tricks now. And it’s probably a good idea that you be prepared for them. If not, you may walk out of here with a whole lot more than what you came in for at a cost definitely more than what you planned to spend.”
There are hundreds of books, seminars and CD sets introduced every year to hone the skill of selling people things they really don’t need. And it makes sense. It doesn’t take anyone to persuade you to buy something you actually need. Sales people are there for the things you may want but could probably do without. Without these extras, there’d be little need for sales people.
And hey, if you really want those extras, that’s great. But remember, it’s your money we’re talking about here. If you’re not careful with it, you’re going to end up broke. Unfortunately, if the salesperson can’t convince you to let go of that money, he or she is going to end up broke.
See, our wonderful market system has pit you not only against the marketing and advertising machines of monster corporations, but against the poor slob standing in front of you with the name tag and the dorky smile. Sadly, nine times out of ten, the smile is there just because it’s tip No. 1 in the book.
Now don’t get me wrong. I know there are honest salespeople out there. I used to think at times I was one of them. But anyone who’s ever worked at a car dealership or in a call center or door to door knows what I’m talking about. I just think it’s a shame if the customers don’t.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent and made on the in’s and out’s of customer manipulation. And, in my opinion, it’s all going to waste. Because it’s not the salespeople that need this information, it’s the consumers.
The consumer should know about the fake phone call to the boss to get permission for a price the salesperson already knows he or she can get away with. The consumer needs to know that you don’t make a dime off of selling the computer, only off the printer and the digital camera and the upgraded memory and the giant flat screen. The consumer needs to know it’s not about the service, it’s about the features. It’s not about the equipment, it’s about the accessories. It’s not about the warranty, it’s about the extended warranty.
Oftentimes, the salesperson’s job is to distract you from what you need and draw attention to what you don’t. And when you look at it from this perspective, it makes a lot of sense that the people who best understand the art of selling are those who have graduated into selling us our politicians.
Think about it.
Campaigns are not much different from the salesroom floor. It’s image over substance. It’s distraction over policy. It’s about selling you what they want you to buy rather than giving you what you came for.
So why don’t we run a little experiment? Let’s start a massive nonprofit movement to prepare consumers for the chess match. If this is our system, then we should be prepared for it. If it’s a market of competition, you’re going to need a lot of help to stand up to the other side of the market.
And I’m not just talking about avoiding buying the invisible paint protection on your new car. I’m talking about all kinds of selling. From retail and service sales to advertising and public relations campaigns, let’s take the lipstick off the pig.
The textbooks have already been written. All we need to do is open them up and see how it works. I’m sure we could find a few ex-salespeople to teach their old tricks of the trade and exorcise past demons in the process.
Yes, there are a few people already out there doing this. But I’d like to see a massive campaign to educate consumers and citizens in the art of selling. Seminars and pamphlets are great. But why not offer adult education classes in the local schools, libraries, and community centers? Offer free online classes. Offer classes on public access television channels and college radio stations. Hell, why not offer stadium tours and smart-consumer festivals?
It’s a shame such a proposal is necessary. We would rather settle for a system that pits us against one another than work for a new system. Who knows? Maybe one day, things will be different. But in the meantime, I think this experiment is necessary.
If you’re not committed to changing the music, you might as well know the dance steps. Consumers should know the art of selling. Citizens should know the art of politics. Only then do they stand a chance of turning this system into a buyer’s market rather than a seller’s market.
Lonnie Ray Atkinson is the author of the book “What You Are Reading I Am Screaming: A Panic In The Absence Of Question” and runs projectquestion.org.
