Making The Sale...

[Ankesh]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

The reason I want you to have these hated CD's is simple...YOU might be the only person I know who can help us solve the puzzle of the future...tell us WHY these CD's have such a grip, have such a hold on the youth of today.

Do you really want to know the reason?

I can let you in on the secret... if you really want to know.

Many years ago I came across a guy who had created a "Portable Water Purify" that would purify water from the tap with a carbon filter.

Their first attempt at marketing this product was placing them in hardware stores and running ads telling the benefits of the product and where to get it.

This did not sell many units.

I asked if I could have 100 units on consignment for 30days. They agreed. So, I put 20 units in my car and went to a local suburb and knocked on doors. When the housewife opened the door I asked her if she'd be willing to "test" a new water purifier for a week....on a "free trial" basis.

I would get her "Attention".....then I built her "Interest" by explaining the difference in water that she's drinking now and "purified" water.... demonstrating with a "Taste test"....thus building her "wanting" my product and then...."closing" by offering a Free 1-week Trial.

I'd leave the unit with her and be back in a week and either pick up a unit of pick up a check for it.

These people had no idea they "wanted" a Water Purifier....prior to my knocking on their door. I then "built that want" and wound up selling a high percentage of the units I left as a Free Trial.

This is called, "The Puppy-Dog" sale.

Worked for me.

Don Alm

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Ankesh

Do you really want to know the reason?

I can let you in on the secret... if you really want to know.

Hi Ankesh,

I wanna know! Please spill the beans...!

By the way, on a related note, there's an interesting book called "the Manual" by a band called "The KLF". They had worldwide #1 hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with songs like "Justified and Ancient" and "3 am eternal". How did they do it?

They stole!

In their book, "The Manual", they explain how while melodies are protected by copyright, beats are not. So they'd go around to the dance clubs to hear which beats were "hot" (based on audience reaction). Then, they'd incorporate those beats into their own songs.

Also, just like infomercials often use "stars" of the past, and just like many movies build on earlier successes (such as by remaking earlier TV series) - they used the same principles in music. So they had a hit in the UK called "Doctoring the Tardis" which remade an old TV theme (from the British show, "Dr. Who"). Also, in the song "Justified and Ancient", they brought in the talents of Tammy Wynette to sing vocals - which also got them some attention (and that song was a worldwide hit)!

And other bands have had #1 hits studying and following the principles they laid out in "the Manual"...

However, I ain't studied the secrets of hip hop...

Cheers,

Dien

Gordon and Michael,

Please correct me if I am wrong ...but "M&M's" ....Melt in your mouth..not in your Hands.

"Eminem" is a famous rapper that sells millions of records.

Were You referring to another M&M group?? :->

And Gordon, I agree with your daughter. WHOLEHEARTEDLY. When you are speaking with this audience, it helps a LOT when you speak in a Language they understand and relate to...

It is NOT a necessity by any stretch of the imagination, but it does help to connect.

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish in your presentation.

Funny timing of the post. I am actually sitting here preparing a Public Speaking Workshop/Course for the Leadership program up at the University here.

I am so excited. I am actually here right now in the computer lab at the campus, surrounded by some of the YOUTH you mentioned in your post. I'm here amongst them, listening to how they speak and what they are interested in.

Hmm let's see. The guy next to me is playing a Tetris type game and listening to music.

Another student to my right is doing home work.

And the girls behind me is checking here facebook profile.

Perhaps, I'll sprinkle in some HIP HOP anecdotes, And Showcase EMINEM as a great communicator for my presentation??

I'm sure there is a tie in somewhere here.

:->

Well, as the youth say

"ANYWAAAAYS"

I GOTTA' GET BACK to THE BOOKS!

Thanks for "M&M" laugh Break :->

Duane Adolph

You did mean "Eminem" ....right??

Originally Posted by GordonJ

You are a positive skeptic able to separate the wheat from the chaff...the fluff from the reality.

You Michael Ross will not have the wool pulled over your eyes, you've got a Pit Bull tenacity for the truth...and you demand accuracy in writing...

you say what you mean, and you mean what you say...

You have shown us that you are a Capiatlist..and you know and understand that as individuals who take responsibilty for their own lives..that the future is as bright as the SowPub Sun...

YET, you also have a keen eye on the ways of the world, and the bigger picture isn't as bright as it could be, right?

You see things on an International scale, some of that unique perspective you bring is mind boggling. You are a 10th degree black belt Hikuta master when it comes to reality, and seeing things as they are.

You can see the youth and their potential...to drag the whole world down...to maybe make it a better place...but the view probably appears bleak through those NO rose colored glasses you wear.

We must understand this youthful generation if we can impart our wisdom and help guide them and give them a path that will lead to individual accomplishment, happiness and make them independent people.

We can gain that understanding by observing, by knowing what the influences are in their life. We must walk in their shoes while maintaining a clear eye and a clearer mind.

What is going into the minds of our future? What are they hearing? What are they listening to and why?

You surely want to be able to help avoid any major catasophes a given indivdual will make...that may impact so many of us...and to help the wayward youth to see the errors of their ways, right?

How can you do that if you don't understand? I too would never have spent a penny on a 50 cent or a M&M CD...I wouldn't even touch them with a ten foot didgeridoo...until I heard my beloved daughter listening to them.

I was astounded and baffled. This is an honors college student. An award winning "leader" of youth...why, oh why would she listen to this garbage, this crap, this utter nonsense...

And so I asked her and she told me..."Dad, I have to know what the other kids listen to so I can speak in a language they understand and relate too."

I thought of an old English teacher who said, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

I thought of how Elmer Wheeler got me to "get in step" with people and that lesson has been priceless in my sales life.

I thought of how Ben Franklin would loan out books, how Abe Lincoln would write compassionate letters to his "enemies"...

Actually, I THOUGHT!

And Michael, you are nothing if not a thinking man...you've proven that over the years.

You are one of the most keen and brillant thinkers that visits this forum...and I have a small favor to ask of you...

Michael, I'd like to send you a couple of CD's. CD's you'll hate. CD's you will never want to listen to...ever...CD's that you may very well use for target practice with your boomerang.

The reason I want you to have these hated CD's is simple...YOU might be the only person I know who can help us solve the puzzle of the future...tell us WHY these CD's have such a grip, have such a hold on the youth of today.

YOU should be able to decipher the hidden code that these guys use, and help us identify the hot buttons these guys are pushing to sell millions of dollars of crap to our youth.

Imagine Michael a few months from now once you have cracked the code...and we're able to get inside the minds of today's youth...using the secret messages of these modern svengalis...

Couldn't we make an influence? Couldn't we derail many of the wayward youth off the track of destruction and crassness? You will be doing the future a great service by helping us to understand what the messages are in these best selling, making the 50cents and M&M's of the world into multi-millionaires and people of influence over the youth of today.

We need your help Michael. We need you to give us a clue. I'd like to send you two CD's Michael, at my expense. All that I ask is that you supply a small amount to cover the shipping and handling costs of these CD's, and, you won't even have to do that until you've had a chance to listen the "devils" and explore their influences. Then, once a month, I'll send you the latest HOT CD, for your consideration and you'll supply just the postage and handling, fair enough?

Michael Ross, the future is depending on you. We must find a way.

Simply send an email to: _______ and we'll pack up and ship out the latest CD's to you.

Respectfully,

Gordon "Puff Geezer" Alexander

PS. And if you make the request within the next 7 days, we'll include a special CD, at NO cost to you, of Tiny Tim singing his favorite Australian folk ballads, such as "Tip Toe through the Pygmies"....but hurry, you only have 7 days and the clock is ticking.

(Do I need say my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek? Ah, I just did)

[Ankesh]

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

I wanna know! Please spill the beans...!

Thanks Dien

1.

Todays extreme is tomorrows mainstream.

As Chartreuse says: "you must understand the extremes if you want to understand the future because that’s where the middle (the mainstream) comes from."

2.

While Eminem and 50 Cent have earned the most out of Rap / Hip Hop - its influence could be seen well before they came to the scene.

Tupac has been rapping since 1991.

Wu Tang Clan started in 1993. (They have a fascinating story of how they banded together to become famous and conquer the hip hop market.)

But in the 1990s - only a select niche listened to Hip Hop. Most of these artists as well as listeners were African American.

In the 1990s, Hip Hop was the extreme. In 2000 - it became the mainstream.

3.

“Every generation needs a new revolution.” - Thomas Jefferson

How could the white kids rebel?

Kids started wearing baggy pants and listening to Hip Hop. It started out as a form of rebellion. (Rebellion to what? Read a bit below...)

Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley have become Tupac Shakur and Eminem, and the Baby Boomers' reaction to them is much like their own parents' reaction to Chuck and Elvis. But instead of saying, "Take a bath, cut your hair and get a job," we're saying, "Pull those pants up, spin that cap around and wash your mouth out with soap." - Roy H. Williams

A point is to be made about "Peer Pressure." Most kids didn't understand Hip Hop. But still liked it. Why? Because their friends liked it.

Every big phenomena has only a handful trend setters. While most are trend followers. Its the same with Hip Hop too.

4.

But if rebellion was all it was, Hip Hop would have been a fad. It isn't. The reason for that?

The trend setters loved Hip Hop for what it conveyed and what it stood for. In one phrase:

Down with fakery.

In one word, they craved:

Authenticity.

The revolt was against years of accumulated hype. Against perfectionism.

"I'm stupid, I'm ugly, I'm dumb, I smell. Did I mention I'm stupid?" - Eminem

Do you now understand why "Be Real" has been the Hip Hop mantra?

This rebellion against hype can be seen in other arenas too. Roy H. Williams said it best in a workshop I attended:

Yesterdays James Bond is todays Jason Bourne.

James Bond was always dressed perfect and rode the hottest car with the best gadgets. Jason Bourne? Has amnesia. Rides banged up cars he stole. Has no super weapon.

The last James Bond movie didn't do as well as it used to do 10 years ago. The last Jason Bourne movie?

It may have started out with Hip Hop and kids. But the whole world is revolting against perfectionism. Give us authenticity instead.

Action Summary:

Its ok to have faults and reveal them.

If you want the world to like you and buy from you, be authentic*. Be yourself. Don't sugarcoat your faults (instead - try fixing them). Be real.

* Don't fake it. Remember Janet Jackson. Her stunt blew up in her face not because she showed a boob on TV. But because she faked it and was found out.

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Ankesh

Todays extreme is tomorrows mainstream.

As Chartreuse says: "you must understand the extremes if you want to understand the future because that’s where the middle (the mainstream) comes from."

Hi Ankesh,

Thanks... That's very interesting... And I think you're right!

As you point out, you could say the same for practically any new "trend", I think. Nowadays, everybody uses computers, but 30 years ago, they were mainly used by geeky hobbyists (which is the background people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs came from). So, 30 years ago, they were "extreme"...

Fascinating - certainly gives you a lot of food for thought. What are the "extremes" of today which will become the "mainstream" of tomorrow?

Another example I can think of is body piercing, lip piercing, belly-button piercing, and so on. That used to be extreme, but it's much more mainstream nowadays. (It's probably still a little bit "extreme", but a lot less than it used to be.)

Your comments on "authenticity" are good too. I like to think that "authenticity" will always be in "vogue", but I dunno. However, Milli Vanilli (for those of us old enough to remember) fell from grace due to lack of authenticity...

Thanks Ankesh! Some great "gold" there...

Cheers,

Dien

P.S. If you haven't already, check out Ankesh's BlogClout How To Grow Your Blog Traffic blog (if you have an ounce of marketing blood in you). There's some great stuff there too.

[Ankesh]

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

As you point out, you could say the same for practically any new "trend", I think. Nowadays, everybody uses computers, but 30 years ago, they were mainly used by geeky hobbyists (which is the background people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs came from). So, 30 years ago, they were "extreme"...

Precisely. I forgot who said this, but the quote went like:

The future is already here. Its just unevenly distributed.

Not all the extremes of today will become the mainstream of tomorrow. But quite a few will. I've long been fascinated by what new thing remains a fad and what new thing hits the mainstream. Which idea has legs?

I think, the understanding of the past helps a lot in predicting the future.

For example, I just read about a new sport that I predict will be quite big in the next 10-15 years. The sport is "Urban croquet."

Its a modification of croquet - and can be played anywhere. You don't need to search for gardens to play the game on. The game was created by an industrial designer for her thesis.

I think its only been played on a couple of college campuses till now. But it has the potential to go big. Because something like it has already been a grand success before. And there aren't any big resistance factors to slow the growth of the sport.

Its one of the few "outdoor" games that girls and boys can play together - and have an equal chance of winning.

Another big hit I think will be the segway. It will come down in price once the patents have expired. And then you'll see segways everywhere.

Because - they require no fuel to run. And are easier to drive then the bicycle. The only thing stopping its success is the high prices.

Even with the high prices, they are growing by 50% each year. And selling I think about 30,000-35,000 Segways a year. If they start costing as less as bikes do, millions of people will buy them.

Another new sport that will then gain prominence is "Segway Polo." Playing polo on Segways instead of on horses.

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Your comments on "authenticity" are good too. I like to think that "authenticity" will always be in "vogue", but I dunno.

I don't think authenticity will ever be out of vogue either. But there is a pendulum between "Style" and "Substance."

Sometimes, the society will focus on style more than substance. Other times, they will focus more on substance than style.

Dien,

Thanks for the reference.

The book "The Manual" is $980 bux used on amazon...??

Must have been some kinda book :->

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Hi Ankesh,

I wanna know! Please spill the beans...!

By the way, on a related note, there's an interesting book called "the Manual" by a band called "The KLF". They had worldwide #1 hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with songs like "Justified and Ancient" and "3 am eternal". How did they do it?

They stole!

In their book, "The Manual", they explain how while melodies are protected by copyright, beats are not. So they'd go around to the dance clubs to hear which beats were "hot" (based on audience reaction). Then, they'd incorporate those beats into their own songs.

Also, just like infomercials often use "stars" of the past, and just like many movies build on earlier successes (such as by remaking earlier TV series) - they used the same principles in music. So they had a hit in the UK called "Doctoring the Tardis" which remade an old TV theme (for the British show, "Dr. Who"). Also, in the song "Justified and Ancient", they brought in the talents of Tammy Wynette to sing vocals - which also got them some attention (and that song was a worldwide hit)!

And other bands have had #1 hits studying and following the principles they laid out in "the Manual"...

However, I ain't studied the secrets of hip hop...

Cheers,

Dien

Ankesh,

Thanks for the "Hip Hop History...Marketing" lesson.

Here's a piece of Hip Hop Trivia that someone had told me in a conversation.

Do you know where the "baggy pants" style originated?

I'm talking about "Hip Hop Heads" wearing their jeans down below their buttocks.

Any idea??

Originally Posted by Ankesh

Thanks Dien

1.

Todays extreme is tomorrows mainstream.

As Chartreuse says: "you must understand the extremes if you want to understand the future because that’s where the middle (the mainstream) comes from."

2.

While Eminem and 50 Cent have earned the most out of Rap / Hip Hop - its influence could be seen well before they came to the scene.

Tupac has been rapping since 1991.

Wu Tang Clan started in 1993. (They have a fascinating story of how they banded together to become famous and conquer the hip hop market.)

But in the 1990s - only a select niche listened to Hip Hop. Most of these artists as well as listeners were African American.

In the 1990s, Hip Hop was the extreme. In 2000 - it became the mainstream.

3.

“Every generation needs a new revolution.” - Thomas Jefferson

How could the white kids rebel?

Kids started wearing baggy pants and listening to Hip Hop. It started out as a form of rebellion. (Rebellion to what? Read a bit below...)

Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley have become Tupac Shakur and Eminem, and the Baby Boomers' reaction to them is much like their own parents' reaction to Chuck and Elvis. But instead of saying, "Take a bath, cut your hair and get a job," we're saying, "Pull those pants up, spin that cap around and wash your mouth out with soap." - Roy H. Williams

A point is to be made about "Peer Pressure." Most kids didn't understand Hip Hop. But still liked it. Why? Because their friends liked it.

Every big phenomena has only a handful trend setters. While most are trend followers. Its the same with Hip Hop too.

4.

But if rebellion was all it was, Hip Hop would have been a fad. It isn't. The reason for that?

The trend setters loved Hip Hop for what it conveyed and what it stood for. In one phrase:

Down with fakery.

In one word, they craved:

Authenticity.

The revolt was against years of accumulated hype. Against perfectionism.

"I'm stupid, I'm ugly, I'm dumb, I smell. Did I mention I'm stupid?" - Eminem

Do you now understand why "Be Real" has been the Hip Hop mantra?

This rebellion against hype can be seen in other arenas too. Roy H. Williams said it best in a workshop I attended:

Yesterdays James Bond is todays Jason Bourne.

James Bond was always dressed perfect and rode the hottest car with the best gadgets. Jason Bourne? Has amnesia. Rides banged up cars he stole. Has no super weapon.

The last James Bond movie didn't do as well as it used to do 10 years ago. The last Jason Bourne movie?

It may have started out with Hip Hop and kids. But the whole world is revolting against perfectionism. Give us authenticity instead.

Action Summary:

Its ok to have faults and reveal them.

If you want the world to like you and buy from you, be authentic*. Be yourself. Don't sugarcoat your faults (instead - try fixing them). Be real.

* Don't fake it. Remember Janet Jackson. Her stunt blew up in her face not because she showed a boob on TV. But because she faked it and was found out.

[Ankesh]

Thanks Duane.

I've heard that baggy pants originated from prison - but am not sure if thats true or just a myth...