Bill Guertin | 800 Pound Gorilla Blog on SalesGravy.com

Incredible as it seems, Charlie Sheen may be more successful after his crash-and-burn drama with CBS than as the star of the nation’s most popular TV comedy.

How is it that Sheen, a former (?) drug addict and binge drinker, with children in his home of former wives and girlfriends, and two live-in playgirls to which he is not married (!), has “risen” to this level of notoriety?

In my recent book, “The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market”, I outline 12 characteristics of those companies and individuals that command an “unfair share” of the attention in a given marketplace.  These characteristics of “800-Pound Gorillas” have been studied and adapted by many companies since the book’s publication.

We in America enjoy building up our heroes, and then take great delight in tearing them down, which is a partial explanation of how Charlie Fever has succeeded to date.  Here are the real reasons why he has become the dominant player in the news, on Twitter and Facebook, and seemingly everywhere else:

-          He’s Quotable. Outrageous quotes have always dominated the media’s interest, but no one has done a more masterful job of creating so many quotable moments in so little time as Sheen.  When asked in an interview if he was on drugs at that moment, Sheen replied, “I am on a drug.  It’s called Charlie Sheen.”    Who would have thought that “tiger blood”, “winning”, “Adonis DNA”, “fire-breathing fists” and “my big, beautiful warlock brain” would have spawned so many posters, T-shirts, and copyright lawsuits?

-          He Thinks Bigger Than Anyone Else. Three million dollars an episode?  That’s what Sheen believed he was worth to the creators of his “Two and a Half Men” TV sitcom.  When he didn’t get it, the fireworks began.   The concert promoters at Live Nation have now announced the Charlie Sheen nationwide live appearance tour, where Sheen will get to tell his side of the story in person, to audiences who care enough to spend their hard-earned money to find out.  You’ve got to admit, he’s a big, bold thinker.

-          He Rattles The Cage. Outrageous?  Shocking?  Yes, and all on purpose.  Sheen knew he was negotiating from a position of strength, and used the leverage he had to wage war against his employers.   Instead of agreeing to a measly $1.8 million per episode, he chose to fire off to the media – at first on live radio, then several taped TV interviews –  about what jerks they were.  He knew it would cause a stir, and he knew he had the leverage to be able to pull it off.

-          He Does What Others Won’t. We’re somehow fascinated when someone actually tells us about their illicit, illegal activities with such bravado.  We’re oddly amused to learn that each of his two live-in girlfriends don’t mind having the other around.  Who tells their boss off like that and gets away with it?  That’s the stuff of 800-Pound Gorillas.  He knows that other people don’t live like he does, and chooses to live out loud in a way that’s uniquely Sheen.

-          He’s Passionate. If nothing else, Sheen has taken this “cause” of his and brought a degree of passion and energy to his communication that hasn’t been seen in Hollywood, Washington, or anywhere else in recent memory.

You may not like him (I don’t), you may not agree with who he is or what he stands for (check, and check), but the massive exposure that Sheen has created for himself has indeed put him in 800-Pound Gorilla territory.

Want to know the rest of the story on what makes an 800-Pound Gorilla?  Find out at www.The800PoundGorilla.com.

My wife and I were on a weekend trip to Clearwater Beach, Florida, where we met a vendor of handmade jewelry at a craft fair on the pier. Sherri had never worn an ankle bracelet, and she fell in love with one of the vendor’s unique silver-beaded creations.

"How much?" I asked, fearing the worst.

He shot out a price that I didn’t think was too bad.

"You’ll see dozens of jewelry vendors here on the pier, but there’s no one who will sell you this kind of quality for that kind of price," he said. "I guarantee everything I sell for life. If you don’t like it after you’ve worn it for a year, send it back and I’ll give you every penny you paid. If you love it and it ever breaks, I’ll send you a brand new one for free.”

This was too good to be true, I thought to myself. "How will we find you?" I asked.
He pulled out his card, which I will never forget to this day.

The business card of Robert Jay Polukoff (pronounced Paula-Cough) was packed with information in small black letters on a plain white card. It was fabulously written. In big bold letters across the middle, it read:

100% SATISFACTION MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

In smaller letters, he then had his name (with the correct pronunciation) and his title – Lapidary Genius Extraordinaire and Master Craftsman.

In the top left corner: If You Like It Now, You Will Love Them Ten Minutes From Now – They Always Look New. (By the way, he was right.)

In the top right: Real Jewelry That’s Real Treasure For Less Money Than Real Trash. (He was right on that too. I walked past at least a dozen vendors and didn’t see half the quality he had, and all of them were substantially more expensive.)

The bottom right had his contact information, along with the phrase: Planned My Work, Working My Plan.

(Don’t you want to do business with someone who has a Plan? I do.)

And the bottom left was my favorite part: Coolest Human To Do Business With. High Quality Treasure At Low Price. Fixit Free For A Lifetime. Built To Last A Lifetime The First Time. I have yet to take him up on his offer, because three years later, it’s still Sherri’s favorite piece of jewelry.

I will buy from him again soon, because her birthday is on the way, and I know he will lead me in the right direction.

I’ve seen and heard all those lines before, but I have never seen anyone back them up like Robert Jay Polukoff.

How cool are YOU to do business with? What lessons can be learned?

You don’t necessarily need a card with a half-dozen phrases on it. But I’ll bet there’s something you could be doing– or doing more often– that might earn you the title of “unforgettable” in the minds of your customers:

• Guarantee your work. By offering a good guarantee, you remove part of the fear of making a bad decision, and you will sell more. Most people will NEVER take you up on it. The few that do will be grateful, and will also tell others about you.
• Know why your stuff is better – and be able to articulate it. Shop your competition and learn what makes them successful. Use that knowledge with your customers, and speak confidently to the good and bad of the different options available to them. People want to do business with people that are knowledgeable and confident in what they do.
• Be bold. People are drawn to experts. What are you better then 90% of the people on the planet at doing? Don’t be afraid to let others know about it in a big way, and be prepared to back up your bold statements with facts, testimonials, or anything else that will prove you right.
• Be convenient. How easy are you to do business with? Are there hours, locations, delivery, a cell phone number, or other options that would make you stand out? If no one currently makes convenience a selling feature in your industry, you have a golden opportunity.
• Put some personality into your selling effort. Not everyone can be the “Coolest Human To Do Business With.” But there’s probably something about your unique personality that you could inject into the selling process that would be memorable to others. I’ve seen people use bold neckties, a certain color or type of signature clothing, or have even added to or changed their name in order to be more memorable.
• Have a cool business card. My card is among the coolest I’ve ever seen, and I’m not afraid to boast about it. My card alone has generated thousands of dollars in business for me from people I had never met before. (If you want me to send you one, just e-mail me at bill@The800PoundGorilla.com.) Good business cards are cheap, and once you have one, you’ll never go back to ordinary.

Robert Jay Polakoff made my trip to Florida memorable. What positive impression can YOU make on others today?

In selling, being real—or authentic—is the notion that the way you represent yourself, your company, your product or service is true, factual, and genuine. You’re actually who you say you are. You’re not putting on a false front, misrepresenting yourself, or purposefully pretending to be something that you’re not.

When Andrew Corbus and I sat down to talk about writing our first published book, Reality Sells (www.realitysells.com), we wanted to change people’s consciousness about the topic of authenticity in business. We convinced many readers that some people in business really don’t know who they are, what they stand for, what their best qualities are, or what their customers really like about them.

While that may sound crazy, it’s important to understand that many business owners—and salespeople—believe that they must be what the customer expects them to be in order to succeed. We found that the exact opposite is true. Those who do know who they are—and aren’t afraid to honestly express and use their unique qualities—are the ones who are the most successful and who become the dominant long-term players in their industry.

A typographical error can sometimes change the entire meaning of a sentence.

I was reading over a locally produced training manual for a chain of fitness centers where, on the very first page of the manual,  I read the five pillars of their mission as a business.  The very first one was supposed to be Integrity. 

Instead, someone didn’t do the best job of proofreading, and misspelled the word.  Instead of INTEGRITY, in bold letters on the very top of the column, this training manual had placed the word INTENGRITY instead. 

Oops!

I busted out laughing.   Then I looked at it again, and wondered if this is a word that we could actually use in business terminology.

INTENGRITY is a new word that I’m going to use.  It’s a combination of INTENtion and InteGRITY. 

Some companies intend to apply integrity to their business model.  It looks great on paper, but then corporate demands get in the way, sales and cash flow overtake integrity, and rules begin to be bent.  Omission of the truth starts, lies are told that make the company look better than it is, and the slippery slope of integrity is too difficult to climb.   The intent was there, on paper, but the application fell short. 

All companies, then, can say that they run their business with INTENGRITY.  They all INTEND to run their operations with integrity, but things can get messed up along the way.   

Are you an employee of a company with INTENGRITY that falls short?  Or do you have a “spell-checker” in your organization who keeps the integrity side of the business honest and true?

Steve Jobs brought himself to the microphone for the press conference this morning.  It was not something he was looking forward to.

The CEO of Apple has been on a roll lately.  The iPad has sold exceedingly well, the iPod and iPhone have become synonymous with cool, users rave about their products, and nothing seemed wrong with the world. 

But a little antenna problem in the new version of the iPhone forced Apple to have to ‘fess up to some bad news. 

It appeared that a design flaw has created a problem with the signal strength of the new hand-held cell phone.  If a user puts their hand on the upper left-hand corner of the iPhone device, the hand position blocks the cell signal considerably, or may fade out altogether.

Jobs began his conference with these words:  “Ladies and gentlemen… we’re not perfect.” 

One of the signs of true 800-Pound Gorillas – the dominant players in any market who have a large share of the business – is the fact that of you’re good and well-liked, lots of people will try to knock you off your perch at the top.  800-Pound Gorillas also have an uncanny ability to be secretive when they have to be, and transparent when they need to be. 

To admit your mistakes is never easy, but for those who succeed and thrive in business today, being honest and admitting when you’re wrong is considered a very strong positive attribute.  Consider the “reputation” of BP, and whether or not they’ll continue to be as dominant a company after all that’s been said about the Gulf oil spill.

The announcement by Apple was made today that those who own an iPhone 4 will receive a protective case that will solve the antenna-roaming problem at no charge.  Previous buyers and those who buy a new phone thru Sept. 30th will receive the case for free.  

When you’re wrong, admit it.  Then go make it right.   While the move may cost you in the short run, people will respect you for it, and reward you with positive word-of-mouth about how you handled the issue.     

People usually don’t remember facts, figures, or sales presentations.   People do, however, remember stories.

So why aren’t we telling more STORIES in our selling process?

Here’s why stories work:

• They’re personal.  Most people can relate to a good story, especially one that relates to their particular situation.
• They’re third-party in nature.  When you’re telling a story about someone else, it’s a tacit endorsement from someone other than you, which has more credibility.
• They’re reassuring.  No one wants to be the only one that has ever been in a particular situation.  Stories about others that have been in that same place allow people to be more at ease.

Stories work especially well when answering an objection someone has to your product or service.  Here’s an example:  “There’s no way I can justify paying that kind of price for what you’re selling.”   You might counter with an opinion right away, but it’s just your word against hers.  If you counter with a STORY of another client of yours who thought the very same thing, went ahead with the purchase anyway, and found value far beyond the price tag, your response now has credibility beyond your own opinion.

Share your stories regularly within your sales staff, and if possible, chronicle them for others to remember and use.   Salespeople tell… but stories SELL!

When Walter Cronkite was at the pinnacle of his career in the early 1970′s, a poll was conducted that asked thousands of Americans who they believed was the most trusted individual in America.

Cronkite, anchor for the CBS Evening News, was the winner hands-down.

When Walter Cronkite spoke, people listened. Even though he rarely gave himself credit for his accolades, saying that the news was truly the “star” of what he did, others came to know him as the barometer of how they should think and act.

When he showed emotion — which was rare — others took notice. When he announced the death of President Kennedy, he removed his glasses and shed a tear. When he felt compelled to speak out about the Vietnam conflict and his observation that a peaceful resolution was the honorable thing to do, Americans stood up and took note. President Johnson, upon hearing that Cronkite had spoken out against sending more troops, was quoted as saying, “If we’ve lost Cronkite, then we’ve lost the war.”

Cronkite, 92, passed away this weekend, and thousands of broadcasters have come out with words of praise and admiration for the one person that inspired them to take up the microphone.

It’s interesting to note that this 800-Pound Gorilla of broadcast journalism was an inspiration to so many. Originally hired by Edward R. Murrow after proving himself in broadcast assignments during World War II, he adopted a style that became uniquely his, and was attempted to be copied by most every other successful broadcaster of his time.

If Cronkite was “the Most Trusted Man In America” in the 1970′s, which BUSINESS do you think would be voted the most trusted in America today?

You have to think hard, don’t you?

Cronkite was so well-loved because of his unwavering integrity and authenticity with the American public. When pressed to identify a business that has those same qualities today, most people have to think for a looooong time before they can come up with one that fits.

What does that say about the state of business today?

The market is wide open for someone that others can trust without thinking twice. How can YOUR business be more Cronkite-like?

– Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of clients includes the ticket sales departments of professional sports teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer. He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and his second book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales, is due this fall from John Wiley & Sons. Find more articles and valuable information at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla.