Advertising 101 Page 1
By Anthony Douglas Gere
Back when I was employed by this communication company, competition was incredibly
fierce because of its commercial newness. It was almost battle like in establishing a
following to patronize the products and services of wireless communication, and for those
in the executive side of retail compensation, this was paradise. This was when cell phones
cost thousands of dollars, and the company I worked for then, allowed you to finance them
if you had good credit. They didn't mind giving it to you in installments, but they were far
from desperate in just giving them to just anybody. Its funny to look at things now, because
if you buy two Big Mac's from somewhere, they just might give you one for free and some
bonus minutes to boot. Anyway, in a very short period of time, I became the top salesman
in the region, and was bringing in an awful lot of money for both of us. Now to further this
process, and for them to try and make me part of the upper management team, they sent
me to Texas to go to this sales seminar. I went to the prestigious Xerox Sales School, and
at that time, most companies sent their top salesman there to gain a stronger advantage in
selling the products the employers specialized in. You had people from everywhere,
selling any and everything in any and every way. The thing that was so fascinating to me
was, the unique techniques everyone had, and the approach towards gaining a larger
audience to promote their status. I've always believed that a good or great salesman,
doesn't sell anything, and allows the consumer to buy what they want or need. My
reasoning is that if you force or pressure someone into purchasing something, you risk
the fact of them feeling cheating or swindled and a one time customer was they
leave your sight and presence. In most cases, after they were sold on something, they
will second guess the transaction, and return the item back to the store when you're not
there. This starts to stock pile your never ending road of charge backs, and have you
working twice as hard to sell what no one is buying. Now if you listen to their needs
and allow them to buy it, they will walk out of that moment feeling good about
themselves, the choice and purchase, and will return back to you for your honesty, over
and over again. So when I went to the class, it was interesting to see the personalities
and methods people used, and how they seen themselves as a salesperson and also,
a consumer.
The similarities in sales, sports and life, are remotely similar. How one participates in
these three arenas, pretty much can tell you about who these or those people are,
including you and I. Its about spreading the word to the world in small but potent
doses, and building a reputation based on your following, even if they're not your direct
customer, but affected by your wisdom and technique, indirectly. In short, sales,
sports, love and life, is a contact sport. To gain popularity, the more people you
come in contact with, the higher your percentage goes in reaching an audience that
has what you're selling or advertising. Think about it, the more you're seen, the more
people can relate or repel to what you're selling and all about. Most people can
buy what you're selling anywhere. What they can't find anywhere, is you. Example,
me and my crew went out the other night, and I swear, we seen the same people in
this club I seen five years ago when I went there for pretty much the same reason I
did that night. Now maybe for some strange reason the stars all lined up and we all
had a wild hair up our rear ends and ironically came to the same spot many years
later, but I seriously doubt it. The guys were still leaning against the wall looking at
the fresh and aged meat walking to and from the bar, and the women, still there in
tighter clothes to hold up what gravity is now bring down over the years. I didn't think
much of it in a good or bad way, but I did think it was unusual in the terms of elevating
ones patterns and lifestyle. Now maybe I was missing something, but then again,
maybe they were also. But I looked at the bar or single scene like a department store.
There was the specialty items, sale items and staples that everyone needs, uses and
then throw away. There were the slightly damaged articles, that many had tried on, as
there was the delicate pieces, many admire but can't afford. I just thought the entire
experience was like the school I went to, and that's what this theory is all about.
By Anthony Douglas Gere
Back when I was employed by this communication company, competition was incredibly
fierce because of its commercial newness. It was almost battle like in establishing a
following to patronize the products and services of wireless communication, and for those
in the executive side of retail compensation, this was paradise. This was when cell phones
cost thousands of dollars, and the company I worked for then, allowed you to finance them
if you had good credit. They didn't mind giving it to you in installments, but they were far
from desperate in just giving them to just anybody. Its funny to look at things now, because
if you buy two Big Mac's from somewhere, they just might give you one for free and some
bonus minutes to boot. Anyway, in a very short period of time, I became the top salesman
in the region, and was bringing in an awful lot of money for both of us. Now to further this
process, and for them to try and make me part of the upper management team, they sent
me to Texas to go to this sales seminar. I went to the prestigious Xerox Sales School, and
at that time, most companies sent their top salesman there to gain a stronger advantage in
selling the products the employers specialized in. You had people from everywhere,
selling any and everything in any and every way. The thing that was so fascinating to me
was, the unique techniques everyone had, and the approach towards gaining a larger
audience to promote their status. I've always believed that a good or great salesman,
doesn't sell anything, and allows the consumer to buy what they want or need. My
reasoning is that if you force or pressure someone into purchasing something, you risk
the fact of them feeling cheating or swindled and a one time customer was they
leave your sight and presence. In most cases, after they were sold on something, they
will second guess the transaction, and return the item back to the store when you're not
there. This starts to stock pile your never ending road of charge backs, and have you
working twice as hard to sell what no one is buying. Now if you listen to their needs
and allow them to buy it, they will walk out of that moment feeling good about
themselves, the choice and purchase, and will return back to you for your honesty, over
and over again. So when I went to the class, it was interesting to see the personalities
and methods people used, and how they seen themselves as a salesperson and also,
a consumer.
The similarities in sales, sports and life, are remotely similar. How one participates in
these three arenas, pretty much can tell you about who these or those people are,
including you and I. Its about spreading the word to the world in small but potent
doses, and building a reputation based on your following, even if they're not your direct
customer, but affected by your wisdom and technique, indirectly. In short, sales,
sports, love and life, is a contact sport. To gain popularity, the more people you
come in contact with, the higher your percentage goes in reaching an audience that
has what you're selling or advertising. Think about it, the more you're seen, the more
people can relate or repel to what you're selling and all about. Most people can
buy what you're selling anywhere. What they can't find anywhere, is you. Example,
me and my crew went out the other night, and I swear, we seen the same people in
this club I seen five years ago when I went there for pretty much the same reason I
did that night. Now maybe for some strange reason the stars all lined up and we all
had a wild hair up our rear ends and ironically came to the same spot many years
later, but I seriously doubt it. The guys were still leaning against the wall looking at
the fresh and aged meat walking to and from the bar, and the women, still there in
tighter clothes to hold up what gravity is now bring down over the years. I didn't think
much of it in a good or bad way, but I did think it was unusual in the terms of elevating
ones patterns and lifestyle. Now maybe I was missing something, but then again,
maybe they were also. But I looked at the bar or single scene like a department store.
There was the specialty items, sale items and staples that everyone needs, uses and
then throw away. There were the slightly damaged articles, that many had tried on, as
there was the delicate pieces, many admire but can't afford. I just thought the entire
experience was like the school I went to, and that's what this theory is all about.