Here's why good ideas are lousy ideas...

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by -TW

I look fine. But -- I do look a wee bit odd, I guess you could say. I do not look 'typical.'

I look a little more like an artist type than an IBM man. This comes across no matter what clothes I'm wearing. Think Albert Einstein in a suit. I look NOTHING like AE -- but I give off that same 'boy genius' vibe. Which is GREAT if one approaches people who appreciate and are OPEN MINDED ENOUGH to see potential 'hidden helpfulness' in someone who's a little off center. Think a well-groomed, well-dressed Columbo type -- for lack of a better description.

Hi TW,

If you haven't read it, I suggest you read the book "Influence" by Robert Cialdini. (There are two versions out there, a "popular" version and a more "academic" version - either one is good.)

As you may know, Robert Cialdini is a professor of social psychology at Arizona State University, and did many studies "in the field" of the techniques people use to persuade. Often, this meant applying for jobs as a salesperson, and watching what the successful salespeople did, and also doing it himself!

Anyhow, he identifies six principles to success in sales...

1. Reciprocity
2. Commitment and consistency
3. Social proof
4. Liking
5. Authority
6. Scarcity

One of them, liking, is about - of course - how much people like you. If people like you, then you're more likely to make a sale...

One part of this that he talks about is that people tend to like other people who are similar to themselves. The more you are similar to them, the more they like you... and the more likely you'll make a sale.

That means, the more you dress like them, the more you talk like them, even how fast you talk - will affect your sales. A slow talker may not make sales in fast-talking places (like New York), but may make better sales where people tend to talk at a more leisurely pace. And of course, vice versa is true too.

The reason why I bring this up is because, based on what you said, you may not look like, or be like, your prospects. If they think you're too "different" - they may not want to buy from you. It has nothing to do with "logic" - it's purely an emotional reaction. There are two solutions - (1) either make a conscious effort to be as similar as possible to your prospects, or (2) only sell to people who are similar to you.

Anyway, take what you like from this... Just reporting what's in his book. I have found how you dress, how you talk, etc., can and does make a difference...

Of course, others have made excellent comments too. I've done some sales (I took a sales job for a few months mainly to get some "real world" experience), and I found what I learned on this forum over the years really helped me immensely...! To the extent that I even won sales competitions at the company I was working for, etc. It's not easy - it can be a real emotional challenge keeping a positive attitude when you get rejection after rejection. You can't take it personally. And I'm probably the farthest person in existence from a "natural" salesperson!

By the way, if you use humor, some advice I read once was to use self-effacing humor. Make lighthearted fun of yourself. People like that... It shows you're humble, and that you don't consider yourself "better" than them... People like to feel that they're superior, and that you "look up" to them... So trying to prove that you're "superior" and that they're "stupid" can be a losing game - nobody likes to feel stupid. Some politicians use self-effacing humor to great effect to "win over" the population with their charm... But that's a whole other post.

Best wishes,

Dien