Written By: Tim Rohrer
Selling is all about memorable performances – especially in person.
While watching an incredibly boring episode of American Idol, one of the judges critiqued another generic singer. All of the contestants seemed to blend together, giving the same lackluster performances, one after the other.
The judge said, “The problem is that you are completely forgettable.”
Exactly. Although there were thirty-six finalists, and maybe three of them were memorable. This was bad news for the other thirty-three and really bad news for the show.
Here is the deal—when you are on stage you have to put on a show. The performance must be outstanding. You must be memorable!
The same is true for the sales profession. Selling is all about memorable performances—especially in person. Unfortunately, just like American Idol, only about one in ten of us puts on a memorable performance when we have the opportunity. As a judge recently said to a contestant, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m afraid that you’ve blown it.”
If salespeople heard this more often from either their sales managers or their clients, we would see real improvement. Because, unlike the contestants on American Idol, we get “once in a lifetime” opportunities all the time in front of career-changing prospects, our “judges”. Without the right dedication to certain aspects of your presentation, and without the knowledge that you are on stage, giving a performance, it is easy to blow it with prospects time and time again.
Here is what you must do the next time you have a once in a lifetime opportunity in front of a very important prospect:
In Gina Trimarco’s Book of Play, you will learn the fine art of sales improv: Knowing exactly what to say and how to handle any sales situation that is thrown at you. Download her FREE guide here.
Tim Rohrer
After a 20-year career in broadcast sales, Tim J.M. Rohrer wrote a book, Sales Lessons…
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