I went to see Oceans 8 last weekend and I loved it. Maybe a little too much.
I was ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED to watch those 8 women problem solve, plan, and execute a massive heist at the Met Gala. A big time heist movie with diamonds and dresses. The setting was phenomenal.
What really got me, though, was watching the interactions of the characters with each other.
Over and over and over they had to “sell” something to someone.
- Sell to Cartier the loaning of the necklace.
- Sell to the actress that she would be a) dressed by a certain designer (who was in on the con) and b) that she’d wear the necklace.
- Sell to Vogue to hire a dietary specialist for the gala.
- Sell to the bored suburban housewife to pack her bags and move to Manhattan for a month to bring her skills into the game.
We all have these types of interactions daily, in business and in our personal lives, but they are pretty blatant when you watch them on the big screen.
In every instance there is an exchange of energy, a back and forth between two people, there’s an outcome and the plot moves on. It is fascinating to me to watch that energy exchange.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONNING AND SELLING
Every time we sell a product or service we engage in that energy exchange. What makes me selling a website to someone and feeling good about it as opposed to feeling like I ripped someone off are my ethical principles.
Am I selling something I GENUINELY think they need and that will help their business? The answer, for me, always has to be yes.
Anyone who has been on the phone with me knows that i will STRAIGHT UP TELL SOMEONE if something they are asking for is something I really don’t, with my experience and knowledge, advise. Doesn’t necessarily mean I’m right. It means I’m telling them, from my perspective and place of experience, “I can’t, in good conscience, sell you that.” I do it all of the time.
Selling doesn’t have to be slimy. But it does and ALWAYS will depend on that exchange of energy.
To stay in business, you have to sell. But you’d better be selling you feel good about and you know will be good for your customers, not just something that will make you money or you WILL feel slimy.
I talked to my web person after the movie. “I’m going to start calling you nine-ball after Rhianna’s character in the movie because you’re my badass tech person.” She’s also great at selling. She said, “Wouldn’t you rather put your neck out and sell something to someone because you know you’ll take care of them and they’ll be happy with the product than NOT stick your neck out and have them buy the same thing from your competitor and possibly not be happy?”
Something to chew on.
