EXCERPTS ABOUT SALES FROM CONTEST PARTICIPANTS

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED SO FAR

DAVID OGILVY KNEW THE IMPORTANCE OF SELLING. His oft-quoted mantra “We sell, or else” cuts to the

heart of the purpose of advertising. But what does

salesmanship look like in the digital age? Where does

proven wisdom marry with new tools and platforms?

OgilvyOne wants to find out and, at the same time,

reinvigorate the noble art of selling. So the agency

launched a competition on YouTube to find the World’s

Greatest Salesperson. The three finalists will compete

on stage on June 21, 2010 at the Cannes Lions Inter-

national Advertising Festival.

FOLLOW THE EFFORT ON TWITTER @SELL_OR_ELSE

FROM THE ESSAYS“SALES IS CRUCIAL TO OUR CLIENTS BUT HOW WE SELL HAS CHANGED. WHAT DOES SELLING LOOK LIKE IN THE 21ST CENTURY?”

SELLING HAS COME FULL-CIRCLE.

AKE A GRAND CLAIM TODAY AND ‘JANE SEARCHER’ WILL BE ON GOOGLE TO CHECK IT OUT. SHE’LL ASK HER FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER ABOUT

IT. WATCH VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE TO SEE IF ‘AMAZING WIDGET’ IS WHAT THEY SAY IT IS. THE WORLD HAS COME FULL CIRCLE. WE’VE RE-ESTABLISHED TRIBES. THEY JUST LOOK A BIT DIFFERENT NOW.

M

But the end result of this re-organization is the power has been placed squarely back into the hands of the

people. A small one-man shop in Topeka Kansas that engages the online community, listens and builds

relationships can now compete with the ‘big boys’.

SO, HOW HAS SELLING CHANGED?

Selling has returned the power to the person with a great product, great relationships and ability to

communicate their benefits to the tribe. Selling has once again become more of a human experience. The

skills of pushing the right psychological triggers and emotional hot buttons are still relevant and extremely

useful. But only if value is being delivered.Without it, you’ll simply be ‘drawn and quartered’ online.

Finalist: Todd Herman, Edmonton, Canada

Selling in the 21st century looks like the custom car workshop on MTV’s “Pimp My Ride.”“ ”

As more and more options become avail-able directly to each individual, it is

CUSTOMIZATION that ultimately defines us. Products that can be customized to fit into the complex identi-ties of the people that form the customer base are the products that those people seek for their own lives. And it is the job of sales to educate the public on how those products can be customized. But in a time where so many things are fighting for the mind-share of each

individual, that education must be sought after, engaging, and relevant.

SELLING BEGINS WITH KNOWLEDGE. Good selling is being knowledgeable about the

product. Great selling is being knowledgeable

about the product and the customer. But the

greatest selling is applying the knowledge about

both the product and the customer into a cus-

tomized application of benefits to lifestyle. In

our instant gratification society, we are seeped

in an age of instant information overload. Speed

and quantity have overshadowed accuracy and

quality in so many aspects of our lives that it has

gotten difficult to wade through the digital muck.

AS SALESPEOPLE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, IT

IS OUR JOB TO ENSURE THAT OUR CUSTOM-

ERS ARE NOT WEIGHED DOWN BY GOBS OF

RAW DATA, but are instead presented with infor-

mation that is carefully analyzed with empathy

and relevancy in mind.

”Finalist: Y. Lee Abbas, Hokkaido, Japan

THE LANDSCAPE OF THE PAST 10 YEARS HAS DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED THE WAY IN WHICH WE SELL IN THE 21ST CENTURY

“Selling in the 21st century will look a lot like an Internet-based open-source

application, growing like a living, eating, breathing organism, influenced by

billions, growing wildly out of control with infinite psychological buyer profiles.

Harnessing this new beast of a matrix will necessitate the atomic teamwork

pod approach of research-driven, technology savvy, psychoanalytic profilers.

Low-end products and services will yield less face time with target audiences,

while high-ends become more expensive to market and sell due to investments

in education-based sales teams; MUCH LIKE THE NEW SOCIAL LANDSCAPE,

but that is another essay altogether.”

Finalist: Eric Polins, Tampa, Florida, USA

”

“

Products are becoming age-neutral

8 18 28 48 78

“ ”

SAW MY FIRST COMPUTER AT THE AGE OF 15 AND MY FIRST CELLPHONE AT THE AGE OF 18. TODAY, THE ENTRY AGE FOR BOTH THESE PRODUCTS HAS COME DOWN TO 8 YEARS. THIS MEANS TWO THINGS:S:

I

Giving products an age group allows us to predefine selling strategies. Broadly these could be emotional, intellectual or offer-driven. However, as the age group declines, we now need to shift our focus to younger psychological triggers.

WE NEED TO RETHINK OUR SELLING PROPOSITIONS:

WE NEED TO RETHINK LIFETIME VALUE:As products adapt to a younger audience, they begin to find new ways to interact with them.This means product obsolesce will happen much sooner. We therefore need to remap the lifetime value of a customer into smaller timeframes and be prepared to migrate.

Honor Roll: Alfred Lee, Mumbai, India

“Great 21st Century salespeople will distinguish themselves by

pulling off an impressive trick: they will harness new technolo-

gies to reach a larger audience than previously possible, in a more

immediate and personal way than ever before. More importantly,

THEY WILL RESIST THE URGE TO ABANDON SALESMANSHIP

IN PURSUIT OF GIMMICKRY.”

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME“ ”

Honor Roll: Jason Schroeder, New York, USA

“The importance of

( WORD OF MOUTH ) cannot be overstated, especially consid-ering that well over 90 percent of the 3000+ advertising messages an average person gets in contact with every day go by unnoticed. This leads to new ways of getting in touch with consumers needing to be studied. ”

APPLYING THE IMPORTANCE OF A PRODUCT TO A CHANGED MARKET REALITY

Honor Roll: Philip Thys, Leipzig, Germany

The role of ideas“ ”

IDEAS

!

Nearly everyone has access to the same technologies and services. IT IS CRITICAL TO

DEVELOP A TONE OF VOICE IN THE WAY YOU SELL TO DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF AND

YOUR PRODUCT FROM OTHERS. So far I have learned that finding a unique way in to tell

the story of your product will ultimately determine if people will listen to you or not

The majority of successful brands have leaned towards selling a user experience and integrat-

ing themselves to their consumer’s lives rather than a monotonous hard sell on traditional

media between certain hours...

Honor Roll: Sergio Fermin, New York, USA

HAT’S MANDATORY IN SELLING IN THE 21ST CENTURY ARE IDEAS THAT

EASILY SUM A PRODUCT’S EXISTENCE IN A FRESH WAY.

W

”

“

A higher level of engagement from beginning to end

= ENGAGEMENT

= NON ENGAGEMENT

MIDDLEBEGINNING END

“ ”

are still a part of making business decisions, so a good salesperson finds the way to help the client move through this successfully. The client recognizes that this type of sales-person has their well-being in mind and that this sale is happening to-gether as a group responsibility.

‘FEAR, UNCERTAINTY AND DOUBT’

Honor Roll: Annette Osnos, New York, USA

”

“

CREATE TWO SETS OF CUSTOMERS — THOSE WHO CONSUME YOUR PRODUCT AND THOSE WHO MAKE IT

THE EMERGING SUPER-TREND FOR BUSINESSES IS TO CREATE ENABLING

ENGINES. I’M A TINKERER, AND THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE LIKE ME

WHO LOVE TO MAKE STUFF.

Enabling engines are tools that allow customers like us to easily make novel

products that consumers would actually want to buy. This business strategy

turns every maker of a business’ product into a member of a vast sales force

that is only paid on commission. These makers are often more zealous and pas-

sionate than a traditional sales force because they have an integral stake in the

success of the product. And because the maker network is now the sales force,

the message is much more personal and focused to each consumer.”

“”

Honor Roll: Brandon Baunach, Berkeley, California, USA

“HOW DO I GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT?”

EW SALES OPTIONS WILL ALWAYS INCREASE, BUT WE CAN FOREVER HEAD IN THE DIRECTION OF GAINING SALES BY FO-

CUSING ON ONE CRITICAL SALES QUESTION THAT HAS NEVER AND WILL NEVER CHANGE: HOW DO I GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT?

NAlthough this key sales ingredient remains unchanged, what gaining sales often look like has changed

because what people want evolves. A current paradigm shift correlates to the Internet’s free flow of in-

formation. This has conditioned consumers to expect and appreciate businesses that are willing to share

something of value freely (often information), who are as transparent as possible, and that build community.

Traditionally, sales took place at the moment when goods or services were exchanged for something of equal

perceived value. Nowadays the moment of sales is often delayed. Many businesses, like Google, are making

sales by the counter-intuitive practice of giving away their products/services and finding ways to monetize

them later. This practice runs deeper than traditional promotional giveaways for brand awareness positioned

to lead to sales. This is actual consumer inclusion and empowerment in product development and brand

identity. SALES THAT LEVERAGE THIS THEME OF CUSTOMIZATION, USER- GENERATED CONTENT,

AND INTERACTION WILL FLOURISH.”

Honor Roll: Wayne Culpepper, Pietmont, South Carolina, USA

Technology as an ally to sales“ ”

Consumers are far more educated than in previous decades...It is no lon-ger sufficient to only have a basic knowl-edge of the product you are selling.

PREPARATION is key in facilitating the decision making process, and a good salesperson should be able to offer valuable information and insight that can’t be matched by a static webpage.

On the other hand, sales people can also look

to use accessibility of information to their ad-

vantage. By looking at a prospect as a person,

accessing online demographics, avoiding ste-

reotypical judgement, and appealing to an indi-

vidual’s worldview, a salesman can create wants

within individuals. By utilising the technology

of databases, salespeople can research and tar-

get prospects accurately and strategically.

MARKETING GURU, SETH GODIN APTLY DE-

SCRIBES THAT, “SELLING TO PEOPLE WHO

ACTUALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IS

MORE EFFECTIVE THAN INTERRUPTING

STRANGERS WHO DON’T.”

Honor Roll: Andrew Kirkby, London, UK and Cape Town, South Africa

FROM OUR SELL_OR_ELSE

GROUP ON

“SO WHAT MAKES A GREAT SALESPERSON?” SOME POSTINGS FROM THE SELL_OR_ELSE LINKEDIN GROUP

A SALESMAN MUST BE CURIOUS ABOUT LIFE. He must read all sorts of subjects. He must hang out with all kinds of people and he must try

things outside of his comfort zone.”

Alfred Lee, Group Head at Rapp India and Honor Roll for Search for the World’s Greatest Salesperson

THE SALES PERSON IS DRIVEN BY PRODUCING RESULTS IMPORTANT TO AND VALUED BY THE CUSTOMER. Second, the best sales professionals are incessantly curious. They want to learn about their cus-

tomers, their industry, their customers, the issues they face. They are curious about their own

profession and how they get to be the best!”

David Brock, President at Partners In EXCELLENCE, partnersinexcellenceblog.com

THE SALESMAN HAS THE MISSION / THE POWER TO ESTABLISH A CONTEXT, to bring to life an environment allowing a transaction to become an engaging moment.”Patrick Leclercq, Interactive Marketing Director at Ogilvy & Mather, New York

IF YOU WANT SOMEONE TO RANK IN THE TOP 5%, HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR:

1.They set the bar very high for themselves.

THINK BHAG (BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAL THAT

MOST SHAKE THEIR HEAD AT)

2. NO QUALMS ABOUT MONEY. They can talk about

it, uncover budgets and not feel the least bit of

pressure when it comes to money.

3. UNCONDITIONAL COMMITMENT, what ever it

takes ( as long as its legal) type of attitude.

4. THE ABILITY TO ESTABLISH RAPPORT AND TRUST.

Specifically, they are able to convince someone

with the questions and the sales prospect believes

the sales person is competent, reliable and has no

hidden agenda. THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN LIKE.

5. 100% ACCOUNTABILITY FOR A LACK OF PERFOR-

MANCE. Win or lose, they take responsibility for

figuring out how to make a deal happen.

6.THEY’RE SOLD ON WHAT THEY ARE SELLING, WHO

THEY ARE SELLING TO AND WHY THEY ARE SELLING.

7. They get PUSH NOT PULL and understand the

power of selling is not in asking and listening not

showing and telling. They sell collaboratively.

8. SELLING IS FUN FOR THEM, INFLUENCING PEOPLE

IS A JOY.

Teicko Huber, CEO, Inbound Marketing and Sales Execution Consultant

HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED HOW WE SELL? WHAT’S THE IMPACT ON HOW WE CONNECT, CONVINCE AND BUILD TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS?

“”

More from the Sell_Or_Else LinkedIn group.

Log on and add yours.

“IT IS MORE IMPERATIVE THEN EVER TO BUILD BRAND LOYALTY SO THAT ALL THE EMAILS, BLOGS, ETC ETC AREN’T JUST NOISE TO YOUR CUSTOMER BECAUSE HE/SHE IS LOYAL TO YOUR BRAND. Another point is personal attention once you get the customer on board to buy or “hear your pitch”

We all want to know there is a speaking, breathing, living person behind your company for that

sense of security.”

Christopher Kresge MBA, LEED AP, Medical/Biotech Executive / Green / Entertainment Ventures

“THE INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA, WEB 2.0 AND ALL OTHER THINGS 2.0 CHANGE THE WAY CUSTOMERS LEARN ABOUT US AND OUR REPUTATIONS. Integrating these into our marketing and sales strategies is critical to our engagement strategies.

Before we even contact the customers, they know more about us, our reputations, our competitors”

David Brock, President at Partners In EXCELLENCE, partnersinexcellenceblog.com

THE CONSUMER IS INFORMED MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. They won’t just believe what they tell you. They will research your product, seek opinions,

check it from every angle, know exactly how it compares with competitors...

Chris Jones, Digital Creative Director, Ogilvy Amsterdam

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