Marilyn, Mel, and Marketing
By Andrew Shedden
Marilyn
Imagine that it’s 1959 and you’ve been invited to Kennedy fundraising party. While you know they don’t really need the extra bucks the main reason you’ve chosen to go is that Marilyn Monroe will be there.
Since we’re imagining all this let’s also imagine you have one chance to start a relationship with Marilyn and by attending this fundraiser you’ll be guaranteed the chance to speak with her for two minutes.
The pressure would really be on you and you’d be excited and probably more than a little nervous. You’d spend a great deal of time planning out exactly how you were going to structure the most important conversation of your life.
When you arrive at the Pierre Hotel in New York City you are primed to meet Marilyn and begin what you hope will be a long and interesting relationship. As you glide through the ballroom you notice a sea of important faces: J Edgar in a dress, Richard Nixon with Checkers, Fidel Castro wearing a vote Kennedy button, and, Marilyn.
With great trepidation you walk up to Marilyn to have your make or break conversation. You didn’t believe it was possible but it’s true, she’s even more beautiful in real life than in her photos. You look her straight in the eye and say “Hi Marilyn, drop your laundry.”
Three Kennedy brothers come rushing out to defend Marilyn’s honour and a flurry of Haig Scotch, fists, and shillelaghs ensures you won’t be talking to Marilyn again any time soon. While staring at the ceiling from your hospital bed you contemplate the vagaries of life and wonder what went wrong.
Mel
Imagine it’s 1990 and Mel Gibson is a famous single actor with no children. By a strange set of circumstances you have secured an invitation to a small fondue party at a chalet in Aspen.
Because this is merely a dream you have a guaranteed opportunity of coming up to Mel and throwing your arms around his heaving manly chest. You’d be beside yourself with excitement and would probably spend more than a little time thinking about the manner in which you were going to make Mel your male.
Assume on the night in question you arrive at the chalet with your own monogrammed fondue fork in its patent leather case as well as a bottle of Chateau de Chateau plonk. You are ushered into the inner sanctum and you rush up to Mel, throw your arms around him, and proceed to squeeze him so hard that you break three of his ribs. While he’s screaming in agony and asking you to keep away, you step on his foot and break three of his toes.
As the police escort you to the Aspen hoosegow it begins to dawn on you that there will probably be no relationship.
What do these stories have to do with marketing?
Do you consider the preceding stories as being merely cautionary or nothing more than a passing fancy?
The common element in both of these tales of woe is that the selling started too early in the relationship.
Sadly the ridiculous actions you’ve just read about are more common in the business world than you could ever imagine.
One of the single biggest mistakes you can make in business is trying to sell your products or services far too early in the relationship. This costs businesses countless numbers of genuine sales opportunities.
All successful selling is the end result of initiating, establishing, and cultivating relationships. People buy from people they know, like, and trust, which is not something you can establish in one fell swoop. Trying to sell too soon in the relationship is like walking up to someone you’ve never met and asking that person to marry you.
Slow down your hair’s on fire
If you want to start closing more sales simply commit to practicing the patience to establish a meaningful relationship with your prospect. Take time to build trust and practice genuine empathy in all of your sales activities. Remember, “You can’t hurry sales.”
Whether your goal is Marilyn, Mel, or more marketing success don’t rush the relationship and drive away your heart’s desire.
