Thursday, February 23, 2012

SELL-SELL-SELL


Oh my, why oh why didn't someone warn me that SELLING is a fact of life?

Dancer Em learned to SELL her looks, promote her resumé, make brochures, flyers, write ad copy, and SELL exciting, varied, choreography.


You SELL--you have to keep SELLING if you want to get a career going.

You are a secretary writing letters,
You are a phone operator making and answering calls.
You are a file clerk, typist, bookkeeper.
And errand girl, messenger service, cleaning girl, shopper, chief cook, bottle-washer -- PLUS the do-everything-gal-Friday every day of the week.


"Success" becomes SELLING more so, SELLING harder.

You're the CEO, top exec, boss, leader, personnel manager in charge of hiring helpers and contracting professionals to create fancier ads, brochures, while you are SELLING tickets to performances, SELLING agents on selling you and your ever larger organization, while you are mothering dancers, musicians, costume maker, and coaching your booking agent.

You SELL-SELL promoting, publicizing your play, your various theatrical doings -- projects that are a big hit or not a big hit -- turning them into smash hits in ads, interviews, lunches with critics, and at cocktail parties, SELLING yourself gracefully, humbly, honestly, eloquently as you're transforming yourself into a successful "somebody."

Every thing Em created -- - "Cyrano" (made money), "People in Show Biz" (lost money); "Shattering Panes," Off-Bdway and "Kings" On Bdway.(lost money) -- and all the other plays, projects, readings, show-cases, (even the book about Em that a sports writer wrote ) required publicists, PR agents, producing, fund-raising, and SELLING.

Even giving away tickets, padding the house requires SELLING.

Like a salesclerk behind the counter, like the poor flower girl, you SELL you, your ideas, your talents in order to acquire a manager, accountant, lawyer, or a maid or janitor.

So pay attention to what you are promoting, while you're socializing, social-networking, commenting, "liking," buying, or not buying -- you are SELLING your point of view. You need to know whatever you say is SELLING.

Since this post is about succeeding, not failing, I am confidently, knowledgeably, humbly, honestly, SELLING you about everything you need to know about SELLING you.

6 comments:

Kizzy said...

I enjoyed this post a lot. Selling is not one of my strong suits at all...but I'm working on it.

Anonymous said...

I know the importance of selling yourself and appreciate your thoughts and ideas Em. Years ago I was pretty good at it but now things are harder and more difficult for me. Great blog on lots of experience...enjoyed this! kam

Kaye Francis said...

EM sez "You need to know whatever you say is SELLING."
* * *
(Urge to be 'cheeky' hits here) ~ "& Ms. EM it's only a 'sale' if any person 'buys' what one is saying."
* * *
When I 'say' ~ usually my primary is 'expressing' & 'selling' is a secondary.

Exceptions: on twitter ~ promoting others with retweets (lifting them UP to share & for others to see.)

On twitter ~ as vigorous a Follow Friday as my spirit will allow me on any given week. ~
To build more Green Bay Packers fans, players, the organization, etc. on twitter ~ so yeppers that's 'selling'.

For others the twitter Follow Friday I feel this is true: it's wonderful that people do like me, this weekly ritual is less about people liking me.

There are so many folks that get little to no recognition ~ & so even in a small way of mention & even if it is only one or two people who are pleasantly impacted, it's worth the energy & effort & the massive timeline impact for other of my followers who may not like it.

I'm grateful for the followers who put up with it & me. "My" tiny tiny way of trying to put some 'good' into the world.

I'm not exactly a people pleaser that wants to please ALL ~ (cuz ALL are not pleased) ~ it is about that one or two that just might need to know that I know they are there.
* * *
I don't think I'm 'lying to myself' about these things. What you have described in the early part of this blog all sounds so complicated!
* * *
And if what you are saying in the closing paragraphs is 'be mindful/thoughtful of what you say' ~ I 'get that' BIG TIME!

~ You EM would probably giggle, chuckle, belly laugh about how many tweet thoughts I have left 'unsaid' ~ 'neversaid' where I have chosen to restrain/refrain from exercising my right of freedom of speech! #WINK
* * *
Much love to you Ms. EM, John Cullum & your family! I'm @grammakaye on twitter.

Linda Phillips said...

You have ME sold! ;-)

Ameer S. Washington said...

And doesn't the idea of it just become daunting. Don't you (I) wish that someone else could do it for you (me). The very idea of selling makes you (me) seem like some sort of product that you (I) have to make look good and satisfying to the whims of someone who holds your (I) future in their hands.

It realy is unescapable to sell. Even when we just want people to see us and know that what we are, what we create, and what we will become is something great. I wish. But since it's not that way, SELL, SELL, and keep SELLING. All the while, try not to SELL OUT while you're SELLING OUT.

Maureen Jacobs said...

Ugh. I has this elaborate response and I accidentally deleted it. I a quite mad at myself. Unfortunately, I do this on a iPad and have no word program. I think we all sell ourselves in one way or another. Even in social situations. We talk about what we've done, where we've gone, who we know. A sales pitch to get others to like us, per se.

We sell ourselves to gain entry to school, get a job, buy a house, even in dating. We sell ourselves when we put on clothes, makeup, and do our hair.

Of course it is not in the traditional way, it is selling yourself to the world. We talk about our successes and avoid our failures. We want the world to see us the best way we can.

Selling is a way of life for all walks of life, all professions, and even the way we get our way.

It isn't a bad thing, it is a way of life.

By the way Em, you had me at hello. Lol

M