SHARE:
March 15, 2017
Mind-Opening Metaphor
It you ever cheered at the Golden Globe Awards, or celebrated with Dick
Clark’s New Year’s Eve show, then, you were caught up in two of the many shows
produced by Dick Clark Productions. Jay Goldberg, SVP, Branded
Entertainment/Integrated Sales has been selling those shows to advertisers as
vehicles to reach audiences, like you, who view these events and are likely to
interact with them.
Despite the obvious appeal of these shows and their viewers, Jay, like
anyone in sales, has to contend with questions and objections from clients.
Here’s his challenge:
Open a Closed Mind
“Our challenge is an industry that loves what’s new and different: the
‘shiny objects’ of new content, new influencers, and headlines. They don’t
always see our established properties in as favorable a light as they
deserve.
“I need to break through that mind-set and get them to see two things:
-
That our live award shows are proven, trusted advertising vehicles for
them, socially alive, and backed with both quality custom content and
strong production values.
-
That without a built-in and organic plan for
distribution
(amplification)--which we have--their advertising, no matter how
brilliant or creative, won’t matter and will likely fall short of their
goals.”
 Jay’s
“Mind-Opener”
“I find that using a new metaphor they can relate to, while playing off
an old one, gets laughs and, more important, their immediate attention. So,
I have said…
“You’ve heard of ‘a tree falling in the forest but no one hears it’
correct? Well, having us produce this amazing content without our
distribution and amplification solutions from our MSA (partner agreements)
and consistent audience scale is akin to “Justin Timberlake running naked
through the forest while those trees fall, and still no one hears of the
event. You don’t want that. It is a wasted opportunity! Tragic actually.”
“They laugh because they understand what a loss that would be, and with
this metaphorical mental re-set, they then ask me to tell them more about
how we solve their problems.”
“Having won their complete attention, I review with them our
distribution strategies, targeted reach and the results they can expect.
Compelling arguments, all 3rd party validation. Case closed. Business won.”
Create a Mental Re-Set Metaphor
What I like about Jay’s approach is the pairing of an old metaphor, even a
cliché, with a new image. It catches people off guard in a positive way,
creates that mental jolt, and continues to maintain the relationship and
promotes an ongoing conversation.
When you need to open a closed mind, use Jay’s thought process. Ask
yourself:
-
What
is the perception problem my listeners have?
-
What
is my listener’s world? (In Jay’s case, it was entertainment)
-
What
instantly understood metaphor or analogy will produce a mind-set change
for listeners so that they will now consider what I have to say?
Then, as Jay did, present and close your deal.
Anne Miller
Make What You Say Pay! — with Metaphors
Random Recommendations
 Need to Craft or Create a Winning Presentation or Demo?
Call today for individual coaching or
team workshops and
learn how to turn information that tells into a story that sells. 212-876-1875
amiller@annemiller.com
"Anne and I recently worked together on a speech I gave at a large
conference. She helped me turn a series of somewhat interesting points into
an expertly crafted, compelling and actionable story. Together, we built a
storyline with attention-grabbing headlines. We worked and re-worked the
language, making sure every word was important. Finally, Anne coached me on
the delivery. The result was so exciting - I've never been so well received
in a speech before. Thank you, Anne!" Kate Griffin, Vice President, CFED.org
If you like these newsletters, please share them with clients,
colleagues and friends! Thank you.
SHARE:
|
