I’ve been deficient in following the Batman series—it’s on my ever-lengthening to-do list—so I’m drawing this post from the observations of business strategist and trainer Scott Ginsberg, who does some writing for Rain Today.
Mr. Ginsberg obviously knows quite a bit about sales, and in his post “Everything I need to know about Sales I Learned from Heath Ledger’s Joker,” he gives ample credit where it is due. I recommend you watch the YouTube video embedded in his post. Heath Ledger’s performance is pure genius, tic-y and cringe inducing, and it brings Mr. Ginsberg’s observations brilliantly to life.
Here’s what Mr. Ginsberg thinks we can learn about sales from The Joker:
• You are what you charge
• Be confident in what you offer and schedule time to do business
• Diversify and be open to new options
I particularly like the first point, because Mr. Ginsberg is talking about value. What he says makes a lot more sense than anything else I’ve read about value-based pricing. “So the goal is to constantly seek out experiences and projects and accomplishments worth pointing to. You want opportunities that raise your value, no matter what.”
So, you live your personal and professional lives to learn and as you learn and practice what you learn, you enrich your offerings and what you can charge. The first time I was able to calmly and confidently refuse to discount my rates, I felt that I had “arrived.” Of course, that wasn’t true, but it was the first step on an important journey.
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