Commentary
The Problem With Selling Ice To Eskimos
- by Ari Rosenberg , Op-Ed Contributor, November 5, 2009
Could I literally sell a car, or a Web site that writes about cars? Perhaps. But would I be great at it? Not a chance. And in today's media climate, being great at what you sell better be on your to-do list -- and selling something you buy into as a consumer is the surest ladder to greater achievements.
At Newsweek, I had to become a newsweekly junkie, and I was far from one. So my first year working out of the San Francisco office, I did not own a television. This allotted me the time required to read each issue cover to cover as well as the competition before I headed out on my sales calls every week.
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At Tennis magazine, my clients bought my credibility when I walked into their offices, because I had been running around on a tennis court since I was six years old -- which became obvious the second we started our discussions. While working for Tennis, I was asked to rep another magazine the company published called Snow Country. Looking back now, I can see why my bosses were so pissed when I refused, but no one dislikes skiing more than I do, so selling that audience was not a trail towards success in my mind.
At IGN, I started as a salesperson and left as the vice president of sales. I was one of the worst salespeople there because I'd never played video games -- not even as a kid. So when sitting in front of a video game publisher, or a consumer advertiser interested in learning more about the video gaming market, I had no greater market insight beyond my marketing slides.
To be great at selling media, you have to realize media buyers are not Eskimos and never buy anything they don't want to buy. When they identify our site and our audience as a "unique complement" to their media plan, that's when we use our skills to creatively package our inventory so they buy more of it -- but that's very different from selling them something they don't want or need.
A good media salesperson tells a consistent story, educating media buyers on why this publishing brand matters to the audience it attracts and how an advertiser can benefit from being part of the user experience. Great media salespeople do this with greater integrity, insight and credibility because they consume the content they represent.
So think about what you sell now and how you can become an avid member of your site's audience. If this is as unlikely as me becoming an avid gamer, then identify companies with brands you personally connect to and think about making a move. If you're a good salesperson now, imagine how great you would be selling yourself instead of selling someone else.
On the rare occasion ice is sold to an Eskimo, the chance to renew that business melts. When you educate buyers through greater market insight gained as a consumer of what you represent, you reek of credibility. That's when buyers are more likely to purchase "you," over and over again.
It's refreshing to read Art's comments. I understand achieving a budget as a sales person. Sell "something" a buyer doesn't need is very short term. One sale. Maybe two. Then what? It's tiring having to always find new business. Do the right thing. Sell what is in the clients' best interests and put his/her needs first. Direct the client where their needs will be best served. It may not even be your organization. This works extremely well long term for the person you are.
Wow, you took the words right out of my mouth, Art! I've been in sales for 20+ years and have always felt it was an insult for someone to say of a salesperson that they could sell "ice to Eskimos". The reality is that idenfying a clients needs, then fulfilling those needs with your product or service is THE only way to go.
Hey Ari, I sell for Astronomy and have telescopes and know how they work. One segment of the industry that are hard to reach are "imagers" and your final two paragraphs put it together for me as to why, because I am not one of them...YET!
clear skies
kenn
Thanks for the great article and insights. I'm a composer, trained in Classical and writing for film & TV. I realize that I can't convince a producer of my music for his film if I can't feel the emotion of the scene and story he has in his mind and on the film. I've heard this several years ago put another way: 'walk the walk before you talk the talk.' I found this out several years ago as a kid pumping gas at the gas station. I realized that pumping gas is one thing, but caring for another persons car when you are doing it wins the customer over. Thanks, again!
So who is going to train HR about revolving doors?
Also a great point about the market knowledge. As people start picking up new jobs and new "parts of jobs" in new industries, they have a lot of issues (hopefully short term if they're quick learners) until they really learn that industry.
Market leading salespeople today create sales velocity as I discuss in my blog post: http://nosmokeandmirrors.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/20-top-entrepreneurial-best-practices-to-insure-2010-is-a-profitable-year/ and click #1.
Ice to Eskimos implies selling something the buyer does not want or need....a market loser salesperson.
Market leaders listen and connect their product or service as a solution to the known and understood buyer problems.
Mark Allen Roberts
www.outbsolutions.com