I don’t spend a substantial amount of time watching television or streaming online entertainment – and not because of some misguided moral stance about the quality of the programming. In fact, I would argue that between Netflix, Amazon Prime, cable channels, and traditional network offerings, the caliber of scripted shows is at an all-time high. Sadly, however, with family, work, and other obligations, I just rarely have the time to devote the time necessary to enjoy it. Given my travel schedule, the only time I really watch anything besides live sports is when I’m on a plane, and that’s where I recently became reacquainted with Don Draper.
If you’re not familiar with Don Draper and are in sales, marketing, branding, or advertising, you might want to consider heading to your Netflix account and searching for “Mad Men.” “Mad Men” is a drama depicting the goings on of Sterling Cooper, a fictional advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City throughout the decade of the 1960’s with its Creative Director – the aforementioned Mr. Draper – as the main protagonist.
The character of Don Draper is charming, dashing, vulnerable, sarcastic, quick, and, most of all, both demanding and exacting of himself as well as others. Even though he is the Creative Director of the agency, Don tends to be a sales closer when it comes to working with prospects and clients alike. As I made my way through the first few seasons of the drama, I noted some fantastic sales lessons that still resonate today:
1. Appeal to Your Client’s Emotions – Above all else, Don Draper understood that you have to think of the happiness of the client first. This perspective goes well beyond what most salespeople do: trying to sell a product. Instead, think about the deeper need that your client is seeking to satiate then show how the merchandise can meet that need. By meeting the needs of the client at an emotional level, Draper created a bond between product and message that was nearly impossible for a competitor to break.
2. See the People – This goes hand in hand with the point above as there is no better way to make an emotional connection happen than in person. It’s not quite as easy to do today as it was in 1962, but if you make it a priority, you set yourself apart from your competitors that are all-too-eager to hide behind the comfort of a desk.
3. Challenge the Status Quo – In the world of Don Draper, clients very rarely get what they asked for: they either get more than what they asked for or something altogether different than what they thought they needed. Draper and the fictional agency where he worked recognized it was essential to differentiate from the status quo. If you do exactly what the client requests, you are easily replaceable by the next promotional products company. When you can demonstrate insight and vision beyond the request of the client, you make yourself unique and practically irreplaceable.
In "Mad Men," the one thing that made Don Draper and Sterling Cooper so great was their ability to sell clients on winning, forward-thinking advertising campaigns. While this sounds obvious, the fact is that most of your customers prefer to keep it safe when it comes to their marketing. What you – and Don Draper – know is that “safe” will never increase sales the way innovation does. By appealing to your client’s emotions, seeing them personally in meaningful ways, and respectfully challenging their way of thinking, you build that bridge that takes you from supplier to partner.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, the leading digital marketing service provider to the promotional products industry, and has over 17 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, immediate past president of the Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), vice president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, and PromoKitchen chef, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@PromoCorner.com.