Did you see the Johnny Cash movie, “Walk the line”?
Wonderful story and wonderfully well done, say I.
One of my favorite scenes is when the record label executive asked if Johnny had a hot button. A music hot button.
Johhny Cash and two musician friends were at their first audition for the local record label, the same one where Elvis had already made a success of himself.
The executve cues them to start, and they sing a couple of gospel songs. Nothing wrong, just nothing special, either.
The record guy asks, “Is this all you have? You have anything else?”
Cash says something like, “What’s wrong with this? You don’t like gospel? You don’t believe? Is that it?”
The owner responds with, “I believe, but I don’t believe YOU. And neither will anyone else. We can’t sell that kind of gospel.”
Oh.
Then comes the hot button question, “Do you have anything you feel really strongly about, in your gut? Anything original? Anything that’s YOUR thing?”
“Well,” says Cash, “there are a couple of songs I wrote in the service.”
“Well alright, let’s hear that.”
Once he started to play HIS music, his whole countenance changed. He was doing his hot button – the words and melodies that he had written, that obviously meant the most to him. And that day – those songs, his songs, launched his career.
The entire audience felt the change right along with the label owner, who had him stay the day and make his first record. Of all HIS OWN MUSIC. HIS HOT BUTTON. Not anyone else’s — but HIS.
Now, will you stop guessing what other people want, and stop trying to sell them that? Instead, are you ready to change your thinking and lead with YOUR hot button to introduce your product and your business to others?
That’s YOUR song, isn’t it?
There’s even a whole book “If My Product’s So Great, How Come I Can’t Sell It?” about it. And a live telecourse doing Jan 13-15. 3 Scripts 100 customers course, And a 5 CD course 3 Scripts 100 customers 5CD program.
Sorry, couldn’t resist the self serving plug
Kim Klaver | Klaver | marketing |
direct marketing|networkmarketing|sales training |motivation| self improvement
Well done, Kim – this was a truly great movie – and that was one of my favorite parts. Our industry, heck, our world, is blessed to have messengers like you. 2006 will bring more and more open eyes finding you and others committed to raising the bar in all we do. Wishing you abundance in 2006 and beyond – even more abundance than I know you are already grateful for. Your friend and advocate, Judy