Have you ever understood the basics of sales through different binge-watching popular series?
It is without a doubt that sales is a game of influence as any large sale will involve people with competing interests, and often we can learn a lot from the fictive shows, popular culture vouches by. One of the most popular series, Game of Thrones, chronicles such lessons through battles, intrigue, alliances, betrayals, and power struggles in a mythical land, which has been closely observed and enamored by me.
Its myriad characters signify the diverse, yet enchanting lessons that can be utilized in real life too. I have found a lot of parallels between selling large contracts to big organizations and winning the ticket to the throne. In the words of commerce, this is the business game of thrones that can be won through gumption and smart work. Here are some lessons that I have highlighted, for rapidly expanding organizations to take a note of:
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Form alliances with the powerful:
Daenerys knew she needed to harness relationships based on loyalty and trust, in her quest to conquer Westeros. So from early on, she worked to create valuable allies in every scenario she was in. In order to form alliances, first, reach out to contacts that fit your requirements. Once you’ve done so, you can then build stronger relationships while gaining key insights to set your organization up for a long-term success.
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Understand the magnitude of negotiation:
Tyrion is famed for his negotiation skills as he knows his audience to the brink. This has worked to his favor on getting out of any sticky situation, unscathed. When it comes to sales, negotiation requires an innate understanding of your audience, to anticipate their next move and come up with a backup plan if the circumstances change.
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Obliterate emotion:
Jon Snow has been observed to work on an emotional scale, which has often backfired on him, leading to his and Rickon’s untimely death. He often exposed his weakness to people and ended in paying the price. We can get emotionally invested in a situation, escalating the problem to a larger stratum and hence, defeating our common purpose. The best way to deal with challenges and failure is through logical reasoning and irreverence for the circumstances, leading to infallibility in any situation.
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Study the competition
: Arya Stark is renowned for turning the odds against her in favor, through studying her competition day in and out. Through learning from her experiences and combining that with insights, Arya is able to modify the situation to her benefit. It is pertinent for organizations to study the market and customers, through the regular incorporation of CRM into their functionaries. With this, the buyers can be convinced of their gains in order to get the desired results.
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Never be certain of the outcome:
The Night’s Watch are said to be an outdated body of protectors who had faced inadequacies at the slightest signs of change, from the murder of Jon Snow, to his resurrection, and the alignment with the Wildlings. On the similar veins, a sales professional shouldn’t become too preoccupied with the small wins or losses. Tactical planning should be flexible enough to accommodate any scenario, to milk out a profit.
Conclusion
Competition is cut-throat, the scenarios unpredictable and hence knowing one’s realm is essential to survival. Irrespective of whether the organization is big or small, it is a game where only the fittest takes the loot. As one of the Game of Thrones characters puts it: “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die”.
