The Tycoon in the Tweed Jacket

No one likes to be sold to. If you are in business and you survive by, well, selling things, that’s a problem.

It’s one of life’s great ironies that the people we hate the most are salesmen, while the people we love the most also happen to be salesmen.

Of course there are lots of different kinds of sales. Some sales, for example, are done by people. People who are good at it make you feel like you’re their best friend among their large group of super cool friends and that they’re really hooking you up. The stereotypical bad ones make you want to call the cops, and they may even reek of tweed and old cars.

Other types of sales are done by people in little rooms that hide behind pretend people who also make you feel like you’re their best friend among their large group of super cool friends and that they’re really hooking you up. You will find countless examples of this behind some of our most coveted brands:

• Apple
• BMW
• Coca-Cola
• Disney
• Harley Davidson
• Mercedes-Benz
• Nike
• Starbucks
• Target
• Volkswagon

Don’t confuse my habitual snark to mean that I think selling stuff or advertising is inherently bad. While “sales” is nearly a four letter word in many circles, the fact is it’s everything. To build on that, when it comes to effective sales, communications and perception are everything. The reason we tend to confuse good salesmen, of any variety, with friends is because they make us feel cared for and like we’re part of something important; something that defines us. I think great brands work because they are great salesmen of great experiences.

Successful sales is really just dating. Some are good at getting a large quantity of dates, some are good at getting quality dates, some are good at getting steady dates, and some are more acquainted with rejection and video games. Often, much of the success in dating has more to do with how you come across to someone than the real value you bring to the table, at least initially. While a real, long lasting match happens on deeper emotional levels, the power of image and association has incredible power over people’s ability to reason clearly. No one likes to admit it, but it’s true. Any business that fails to acknowledge it, on some level, is doomed.

It’s not all phony superficiality. General standards of grooming and hygiene say a lot about a person. So does being on time, fulfilling a commitment, or going the extra mile. All factors of presentation and experience play into the critical concept of building a successful brand. It’s all about what people understand you to be and how they perceive that their association with you will benefit their lives.

Love it or hate it, success tends to follow those who looks best in tweed.

The Inexplicable Genius of Junk

In Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, he says “The world does not accord with our intuition.” His point is that human behavior and communication are generally counterintuitive. My first thought as an entrepreneur who works with lots of entrepreneurs is “Yeah. So many seemingly great ideas get no love while ridiculous things go big.” Basically, we as humans do stupid things for absolutely no good reason and we do them willingly and loyally. It’s kind of a sad and scary commentary on human behavior. Unfortunately, there is incriminating evidence all around us. Allow me to present Exhibit A: The Car Ribbon Magnet.

I don’t want to come off overly harsh. These things are harmless enough and can often deal with sensitive subject matters, but I am stunned and amazed by the entire epidemic. How did this occur? Let’s look at the original bumper sticker. For better or worse, the bumper sticker is an classic part of of our social fabric. They may be tacky (visually, as well as hard to get off), but they are usually a geometric shape that sensibly accommodates their various messages.

In an event as tragic as it is inexplicable, someone recently decided that any possible message is best said on a ribbon magnet on the back of an automobile. Since that time, a vast number of good hearted folks have complied with zeal in both creating and exhibiting a tremendous variety of offensive looking ribbons.

Somewhere in there lies the key to flash-in-the-pan business prosperity. I guess the good news is they’ll be passé before you can add the “Death To Car Ribbon Magnets!” ribbon magnet to your car. The ultimate lesson here: Gosh. I don’t know. Anything’s possible.

Here are a few samples. A quick Google search returned plenty more, believe me: