Finding Comfort in Sales

Some folks were born with the ability to sell. It lies deep within their DNA. Selling comes naturally to them. They can sell eggs to a chicken farmer. They can sell firewood to a lumberjack.

But alas, I have never been one of those people.

I did have a few short stints as a salesman early in my career. After attempting to work as a telemarketer for one week, I tried my hand as a door to door salesman for a month, and then eventually a car salesman for all of three months. Unfortunately (or fortunately), my efforts were epic failures, cementing my belief that I would never be able to survive in any sort of commission based sales position.

A couple decades later, here I am… a salesman (for lack of a better term). That’s what we do as booking agents, managers, publicists, artists, or any position in the industry really— we sell. Of course, I’ve found it much easier to sell when I’m pitching an artist I believe in, and even more so when I’m negotiating on behalf of an all-time great.

But let’s take it back… way way back.

Back to the cut throat world of car sales, where I’d watch employees move up to 30 units a month, while I couldn’t even get one car off the lot. And while there were a few notable personal battles that kept me from selling cars, none were bigger than my conscience.

My ultimate weakness was I couldn’t convince myself to lie or stretch the truth; a necessity if I wanted to overcharge a family for a beat up hunk of junk which would inevitably break down within a few months.

So, where did that leave me? And how could I find a work around?

Fast forward more than a few years, and an entire artist lifespan, to my first job at a booking agency. In my new role, I was given instructions and prices for each artist, most of which seemed astronomical as compared to their actual value. But I quoted the prices asked of me, and received very few bites. I soon started to feel the same uneasy feeling I felt back in the car lot. Like I was taking advantage of people in an attempt to overcharge them for clunkers, while making money for the company (and a few bucks for myself).

Again, I had to figure out a way to overcome this personal obstacle. So I wanted to give you one piece of advice from each of these sales jobs, which allowed me to grow, and eventually feel comfortable in sales.

• Authenticity

  My first booking agency boss was a real salesman. It came much more naturally to him than it did to myself. But one day, he pulled me aside, and told me I was never going to be like him. He encouraged me to be myself and find my own voice, and lean into who I was. That conversation gave me a much better understanding and comfort level.

  After that, I learned I didn’t need to worry about overpricing or overselling anything. I just needed the right customers, who understood and appreciated what I was selling. Because if a lifetime hip-hop head couldn’t sell a Red and Meth or Cam’ron show, who could?

And from my job as a car salesman, I learned this simple piece of advice…

• Scarcity

  One day, I received a call from a woman looking for a car, as an older salesman coached me from over my shoulder. I asked when she was available to come in, as the salesman shrieked a loud “no!” over me. I fumbled the rest of the conversation miserably, causing the customer to say she’d just call back. Later, the salesman explained his reaction, telling me it doesn’t matter if you sit by the window all day every day. You can’t let the customer know that. The customer needs to think you’re in demand and busy, and they can never sense even an ounce of desperation.

  He advised me to offer two available time options, which I could completely make up… Say Tuesday at 3PM or Thursday at 1PM. That’s it. And from then on, almost every customer seemed to be able to find time within the two options I offered.

  And of course scarcity became even more apparent as I better learned how to communicate with customers. For example, you obviously can’t create urgency by telling a customer you have 40 black SUVs in the make and model they’re inquiring about. Instead, you need to figure out exactly what they’re looking for, and can then conclude that you only have one available with all of the preferences they desire; and it’ll probably go fast, so they should get down to the lot immediately!

Obvious, right?

But it wasn’t obvious for me. I had to learn all of these lessons. And I had to eventually relearn some of these sales techniques as an agent, as I informed promoters I had a “perfect routing opportunity” on June 24th or 26th. I’m sure talent buyers can identify this language immediately.

If you can’t relate to this, I know we can all understand the allure of countless Nike drops that you never get selected for, or limited streetwear releases that have kids waiting on the sidewalk for hours.

It’s simple. Scarcity creates a strong desire for customers who can’t afford to miss out.

So I ask… How would you create scarcity in your own business? What would make clients or customers feel lucky to have access to you or your products?

And I don’t ask these questions in a deceitful, conniving way. On the contrary, I’ve learned you can be an authentic human being, while still applying this simple scarcity technique.

If you’re a producer, maybe you don’t want to send a beat pack of 100 beats, because it’s overwhelming and makes each beat seem a little less special. Maybe you only want to make 5 beats available at a specific price point, and let the consumer know they’re moving fast. It’s not a lie. It’s just creating a perceived value for the product you’ve worked your ass off to create.

If you’re an artist manager, your artist can’t be available every day, right? Because that means they’re not in demand. And artists want to work with other artists who have a buzz and are consistently in demand.

These examples can go on and on. And hopefully you can find a way to implement these lessons into your own business, if you haven’t already.

Thanks again for all of your support. I truly appreciate all of the shares. Please keep spreading the word.

I also appreciate all of your feedback. Keep reaching out and letting me know if any of these practices or ideas or beneficial.

Til next week.