Comments on: What’s wrong with Selling?

By: John Seiffer

John Seiffer — Tue, 29 May 2007 12:06:43 +0000

Mark,
I’d love to see the UK slant on things. Feel free to post your blog address here. My take on the slickness factor is that Americans get hit with so many marketing messages they are jaded. The marketer’s response is to get slicker. Not necessarily the best response but the one they’re doing.

I’ve spent some time in Australia and agree that the things that work in one place don’t quite work in the other. And it’s also true that the US is a very large market but also a very diverse one. Things that work well in some places here don’t work in others.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 28 May 2007 23:40:16 +0000

John,

Hi, nice post. I’ve just started my own business blog, and like you, I am interested in helping small businesses. I am in the UK though.

I think your point is spot-on and my personal feeling is that when people look to make a pitch or presentation, the sales and marketing seminars/books etc have way too much focus on ‘slickness’.

Here in the UK, such pitches are generally less ‘slick’ and this correlates with the less pushy nature of advertising and market over here compared to that of the USA. I’ve seen some material from the states in the past and you can just tell immediately that it must have been created in the USA.

It would be very interesting if the Radio station would carry out a campaign based around your ‘being candid’ model and compare the feedback and fundraising results. Maybe you should suggest it to the station manager?!

On a side note, I’m hoping to stimulate my thoughts on business topics, so plan on keeping track of your blog and commenting on your articles. Maybe my UK slant on things will make a worthwhile read 🙂

By: John Seiffer

John Seiffer — Wed, 09 May 2007 11:43:47 +0000

I really didn’t mean to bash WNYC – they are in my opinion a wonderful radio station. And their marketing is not nearly has ham-handed as some. But it is typical.

By: Richard Mitnick

Richard Mitnick — Wed, 09 May 2007 02:48:28 +0000

If you are a WNYC member, and if you are old enough, then you would know that
WNYC = We Need Your Cash.

If you are a WNYC member, and if you are a New York Times reader, the please start dunning the managing editor of the Times about their lack of any notice of WNYC’s participation in musical events when WNYC is one of the commissioning or producing agents, e.g.,Ingram Marshall’s ” Orphic Memories,” reviewed in the Times with no mention that WNYC co-comissioned the work; the the just past Bjork concert, co produced by WNYC and NPR, reviewed in the Times with no notice of WNYC;and, previous to these, the Ira Glass television project for This American Life, two articles, and no mention that This American Life can be heard weekly on WNYC New Yorp Public Radio.

Start to write the managing editor, and, spread the word. I wish we had a forum on tghe web site, but we don’t.

>>RSM
WNYC Zealot