Can Snooki Sale?

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From Prime Time TV

Have you ever thought that Snooki could be a great salesperson.

Snookin’ for Sales

She may be on a lifelong quest for love, dancing and alcohol, but Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of The Jersey Shore has some personality traits that would benefit her on the sales front. For one thing, her “pouf ” was her signature and created a part of her personal brand for a long time. For another, she is a fearless, funny force of nature.

Like Snooki, Linda Mroczenski of CPI Promotions and Incentives characterizes herself as funny and outgoing, two must-haves in the industry. As a salesperson, it is important to focus on branding yourself to stand out among your competition. While Snooki may be reckless, she’s managed to build her brand by focusing on her unique traits. Those characteristics are those that make up a consummate self-promoter, resulting in book deals, licensing agreements, paid appearances (most notably, last year’s Rutgers University commencement speech) and more. While most would agree her behavior on her reality show Is distasteful (and that’s an understatement), none other than The New York Times noted that, nevertheless, she has a “strange appeal.”

According to AllBusiness.com, there are some time-tested ways to achieve the brand-image you want to project. First, think analytically. A brand should provide something that warrants attention on a consistent basis, something your audience wants and is not getting from your competitors.

Second, maintain your brand. When you start to become tired of your logo, tagline and branding efforts, it’s probably also sinking with customers.

Third, don’t try to appeal to everyone. This is important because it allows you to focus on the niche market for your product.

Fourth, know who you really are. Snooki knows she doesn’t appeal to everyone, but those she does appeal to know that, with her, what you see is what you get.

Pointers:

While Snooki may be a pro at establishing her brand, she definitely has some negatives. “She is disorganized and abrasive. No one wants to deal with a disorganized, pushy salesperson,” says McIntyre.You can avoid these traits by building a rapport with your clients. He says that Snooki types could be more successful in sales if they built trust with their prospects.

Playing a Part Can Pay Off

She likens herself to Laurie Keller on Cougartown. Busy Phillips plays a young, feisty employee who is known for her fun-loving personality. She works as an assistant in the same real estate office as her best friend.

While she sometimes comes off as a ditzy party animal, Laurie is a success in friendships and business. She has been able to come up with creative ways to bring more business to the real estate office, and has aligned herself with a mentor. Similarly, aligning yourself with your company’s heavy hitters and asking for their advice can be crucial to your sales.

“Laurie may not seem a great choice as a salesperson at first glance, but she does have some sales chops,” says Krause.

Pointers:

However, Laurie sometimes shows immaturity and a fear of rejection, which would get in the way of moving a sales process forward to a successful end.

So, what can a Laurie-type do? “Listen, listen, listen. Consider the other person’s point of view. Suggest outcomes that are mutually agreeable to both parties. Don’t pout or throw a tantrum if you don’t get your way,” says Graves. While Laurie is more of a “my way or no way” type, she does demonstrate complete confidence and belief in her offerings. So, you should be open to varying opinions as you develop your sales approach.

Old-School Ethics

Ralph Donavan of American Printing & Paper Products, Inc. has worked hard, networked and become his own success story.

If you tune into AMC, you’ll see a lot of similar traits in the classy and mature Don Draper of Mad Men. He is a hard-drinking, hard-working, chain-smoking successful ad exec. He became a founding partner at a new firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, after he and his superiors acted proactively, abandoning their old agency in advance of an unwanted acquisition.

According to Graves, Draper would be a good salesperson because he demonstrates confidence and a way of presenting information that makes one adopt a new way of looking at situations. “He is able to build rapport quickly. Those qualities build trust, which makes selling easier,” she says.

One of the most important “dos” is that Draper knows his ideal market extremely well and speaks directly to it. Some of his best strategies are researching the ideal client, maintaining authenticity and staying confident despite what others think or say about you. Draper isn’t afraid to wear many hats or to reinvent himself. “Flexibility in sales leads to greater financial success,” says McIntyre.

Pointers:

While Draper is viewed as a successful dynamo, he fails to keep his personal life together. His colleagues depend on him, but he is unable to deliver once his marriage implodes. You can’t always take full responsibility for your business like he does – learn to delegate – and maintain a good work/life balance.

Draper also found himself in a pickle when his agency lost the Lucky Strike account, which comprised 80% of its billing. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, focus on diversifying your client list so that one bad egg doesn’t put your company in peril.

The salesperson defiantly needs to brand themselves.  EmbroidMe is looking to help you brand yourself as a sales person.  Find out at www.embroidme-edenprairie.com