SELLING IN 2023?
YOU BETTER COME WITH A HOWITZER
Shortly after finishing dinner last night, I heard a faint knocking at the front door.
“That’s strange”, I said to my wife.
Then it came again.
I opened the door and saw no one. Then I looked down.
A young girl was standing there with a box of candy.
“We’re selling chocolates for our church group. Would you like to buy a bar?”
Of course I did. Bought several actually. For two reasons.
- We love chocolate here.
- I applaud and reward the initiative of a young girl who would head out (with her mom) to knock on doors selling candy bars for a cause she believes in..
Who does that anymore!
Which is why the sound of knocking on my door seemed strange.
My guess is you are not a cute young girl selling candy bars for a worthy cause.
Sure as heck you’re not going out knocking on doors to find buyers.
So what are you doing?
My guess is probably not nearly enough.
Fifty years ago, people worked, came home, ate dinner, did some chores and watched TV.
Pretty quiet life compared to now.
You could reach them via newspaper and magazine ads. TV and radio ads. By direct mail. and phone call. People actually picked up when it rang. But you paid by the call, so this could get expensive if you didn’t have a good selling script.
Back then, in general, advertising was costly. Thus reserved for only those serious about doing business and selling.
Now, everyone is bombarded with ads ALL DAY LONG. On the internet, on the phone. Social media. In your email inbox. On TV. On Cable. Streaming. Ads are everywhere. So much so, that we ingnore them entirely. Or we watch them through, and do nothing, but scroll to the next one.
Consumed by the paradox of too many choices, we do nothing.
Advertising now, is free or cheap. Available to almost anyone.
To even have a chance today, you’re going to need significant power to gain attention. To get people to stop and look. To pay attention. To act as you would have them act, is no small feat.
Today, people’s lives are filled to the brim with work, screen stimulation, daily chores, play, study, and the constant barrage of media.
People are rolling through life in a bubble of their own preoccupations.
Once upon a time, it was fairly easy to pop through.
Now, you better come with a Howitzer.
Anything less is like showing up to a gun fight with a knife. You’re going to get killed out there.
Click here to properly arm yourself for the sales fight of your life.
Robert Schwarztrauber
P.S. The most strategic weapon in your selling arsenal is prior knowledge of your prospect. Data. Luckily, we live in the information age. You simply need to know the right questions to ask. The Pictogram of Persuasion is where you start.
