Introduction
I am a very average person. And I am for sure sub-average when it comes to connecting with people, asking for a favor or selling things that I have created. It does not come naturally to me. Like for most people I know.
Once I talk to someone it gets better, eg when selling my services as Interim CTO. But getting to that point is really hard. I just suck at this.
But selling is important. And there are some role models for all of us. Selling well is a key skill. And it’s not only about selling well. It is also about motivating yourself and creating good plans.
How To Sell Well
One of the best salespeople I know is Elon Musk. Elon? You will already now have feelings about Elon in your head. Maybe feelings of dislike. Maybe feelings of support. But he is present in your brain.
And what Elon does extremely well is to sell a dream. He thinks big.
Ok. True. Elon also famously overpromises and underdelivers often. We still don’t have any robocars on the roads, fully autonomous driving is still far away, there is no plaid plus, no semi, no new roadster, no small Tesla, and the Tesla robot always seems like a tool to pump the stock market when numbers are bad.
But really - does that matter in light of his accomplishments? His achievements are massive. More often than not Elon is delivering - albeit a bit late sometimes: SpaceX is nothing short of a miracle. Tesla and all the innovation it drives is blows my mind. And I have to admit that I really admire Elon’s push for Free Speech at Twitter/X - despite all haters.
But why does Elon sell well? Two main reasons:
- Personality: Elon built a controversial social media personality - people talk about him. He gets heard.
- He always thinks big and sells a dream. Tesla for a sustainable future. SpaceX for humanity as multiplanetary species, Twitter/X as platform for Free Speech. Really important topics. People like that.
Strategic Planning is about Selling Well on a Grand Scale
But selling a dream not only important for actual sales. It is also important as a planning and motivational tool. And it is also important in my daily business as an Interim CTO.
When I plan a day, week, month, year, I always force myself to think big. What is the dream I want to achieve? Not the little things. What’s the big impact of what I am doing here? Getting to good strategic plans is only possible when you think on a grand scale. And this means you have to clearly think about the dreams you want so sell.
Think big.
That sounds like self-improvement bullshit.
But NOT thinking about the dream you want to achieve as a company or person will lead to very bad outcomes. It will limit your thinking to the here and now. And that will limit you solution and problem space. And it won’t be motivating at all.
Always remember Elon. He always connects his actions to a higher goal. What is your higher goal when working with a company or on your life? Environment? Doing good to people? New technology that will heal us?
A Conclusion
Think big is not as stupid as it sounds. Think big. Sell a dream, and make it come true!
And this is true for pure sales, but also when planning a project and motivating your team!
Links
- I enjoyed reading David J Schwartz: The Magic of Thinking Big quite a lot
