My friend, and fellow business owner, Jodi Harris, implored me to repost this item from last May. She felt it was one of the best illustrations of the clash between logical and illogical, in terms of choices by customers/prospects.
This week, the American Idol audience loudly booed the choice (made by callers) to eliminate Michael Johns from the competition.
The names may have changed from last year to this year, but the lessons are pretty much the same. Read on…
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Originally posted 5/17/07: Last night, the ‘resident professional’ and top singing talent, Melinda Doolittle, was eliminated from the competition by the voting of music fans across the country.
My girlfriend, Jessica (a singer and vocal coach), and I analyzed American Idol on Tuesday night, from both a talent standpoint and a demographic (fan/buyer’s) view. We agreed that Melinda was clearly the best talent in the show; however, from an audience perspective, was probably too old, at 29, to become the winner. This didn’t seem fair or right; but seemed logical. Life is not typically fair.
When one added the fact that there were two women and one man, in the remaining three, it seemed likely to us that Melinda would get squeezed out. And… that is what happened. Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis remain for the American Idol finals.
The panel of judges perform the same functions of comment and criticism, throughout the entire run of the show; however, when it gets to the Top 10 Finalists, what they say doesn’t really affect the outcome. The viewers vote. It is no longer a singing competition. It is a popularity contest.
The parallel, as it relates to wedding marketing and sales, is this:
Sometimes people make buying decisions for what we perceive as, ‘the wrong reasons.’ If your company has been in business for a long time, you know where you rank among your competitors. And, yes, it is annoying when a prospective customer buys from a vendor you know is inferior.
Often, the reality is that the prospect doesn’t even know the right questions to ask. Sometimes, their perspective, priorities, likes and dislikes simply differ from your point of view. What may seem obvious to you, is not a no-brainer decision for them.
It is incredibly important to ask good questions, listen to the answers, and avoid preaching to the prospect.
As well, one should remember that people will also buy from YOUR COMPANY for the wrong reason, or at best an incomplete reason. You need to let that be OK, and just ask for the order.
For example, a strong referral from another wedding industry professional, who has the ear of the bride, may do more to sell your service than any great website or advertisement. Quite often, people who refer your company can’t articulate the important reasons or nuances that favor your company. It’s simply their credibility with the customer that sells you.
Developing the networking relationships and referrals that ‘short circuit’ the selling process, makes closing sales a much easier proposition.
Ask yourself this question: If you took one-third to one-half of your marketing budget and invested it to build and fortify your key referral relationships would you close more sales, with less effort? These relationships yield referrals that are easy to book, month after month.
Ultimately, if buying from your company gives the customer a high quality result, then why they buy is not critical to your bottom line.
Developing the strongest possible referral network is what helps you win the business popularity contest and can really solidify your selling cycles. Don’t you agree?
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Crystal Ball Gazing: Our prediction for the ultimate American Idol Winner is Blake Lewis. Our brilliant rationale: Teeny Bopper girls will vote more heavily than teen boys. Nothing to do with talent. Everything to do with demographics, in this case. Tune in next week.
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Postscript: 4/12/08 – Our prediction from last year was incorrect. Jordin Sparks won the competition. So much for prognostication.
This year, I see the final three as David Cook, Carly Smithson, and David Archuleta. Based simply on fan reaction, I would guess (not predict) David Archuleta as the ultimate winner. My personal favorite is Carly Smithson.
The morale, once again: There is the best, and then there is the winner. Don’t ever confuse the two when it comes to your business OR American Idol. Chris Daughtry, from last year’s competition, appears to have the best career from that crop of competitors.
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