This week, I actually got something educational out of watching TV.
Tuesday’s episode of NBC sitcom The Office actually had a few sales lessons hidden in the hyjinx. Regional manager Michael plans a client meeting with his supervisor, Jan From Corporate, who insists that she take the lead on the sales call, as Michael is known for putting his foot in his mouth. However, while planning the meeting, Michael pooh-poohs Jan’s idea to hold it at the Radisson, saying it’s too “snooty” for the customer, insisting instead on Chili’s (which he claims will be the new hotspot for closing deals, once an article he wrote about this “trend” gets published in Small Businessman magazine).
And then, instead of talking shop right away, Michael warms his prospect up with some monster-sized mojitos and off-color jokes, much to Jan’s chagrin. After what seem to be a few hours of singing the Chili’s baby-back ribs jingle and downing fluorescent-green drinks, Michael eases into his pitch. If I remember correctly, he observes how, as a born-and-bred member of the community, he has seen how the big companies have come in and pinched the local businesses (like the prospect’s), and how his company, Dunder-Mifflin, understands the pressures the client’s business faces. The prospect, who initially said budget constraints meant he had nothing to spend, admits he could give them his business, but that they would have to “meet him halfway.” After agreeing to that, Michael closes the deal. Jan is speechless.
The first lesson? The show demonstrated—in a farcical way, of course—the importance of finding common ground with the decision maker you are meeting with and understanding how his business works, something S&MM addressed in this story about solution selling.
The second lesson? Sometimes, it’s best to let those who are closer to the front lines—and thus, more familiar with the customer—take the lead on how to approach a prospect. The episode reminded me of a real-world story I heard a sales executive once tell: To gain a huge discount retail chain as a distributor, this executive took along his company’s CEO on the sales call to demonstrate how important the client’s business was to him. Unfortunately, the CEO revealed that, incidentally, he’d never even stepped foot inside one of the retailer’s stores before. D’oh.
While Michael may be the embodiment of every single incompetent worker or manager you’ve ever dealt with, he somehow knew the client’s preferences and pain points and used them to seal the deal. Now if only he would stop telling dirty jokes in the office and challenging employees to karate matches…
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