How A Spurious Stat Can Spur Your Sale
It finally happened. England had the better of a day Down Under in The Ashes. Before the wheels came off once more.
If you are oblivious to the charms of the wonder that is cricket, don’t despair.
I often download a podcast to hear analysis of the day’s play. As there’s only so much of Geoffrey Boycott you can take, on this particular day I also took one from stablemate journos, Stephen Brenkley and Tom Collomosse.
Whilst lacking the panache and authority of the Beeb’s offerings, it did have one stand-out part.
At the end, they reveal their “spurious stat of the day”.
It’s a touch reminiscent of Jeff Randall’s “number of the day” at the end of his economy orientated current affairs weeknight slot on Skynews. Normally to provide a disbelieving ‘what is the world coming to’ shake of the head. One of my recent recalls was when the global giant Now That’s What I Call Music hit compilation series was thirty years old. His number of the day was what the original vinyl double-album would cost at today’s prices. Staggeringly, nearing triple what the latest offering would set you back today.
Both examples mention the stat and that’s pretty much it. In our sales arena, the power of such treatment is to then use the figures as a springboard for engaged debate with prospects. One that both raises why the issue involved is important and quickens urgency for our resolution.
There is a never-ending well of beautiful stats opportunity from cricket.
On my first listen, England’s star batsmen was uncovered as strangely scoring slowly throughout 2013. Despite saying he would stick to ‘his’ rapid-fire ways. Regardless of team and match demands. Leading those speaking to query whether a leopard was indeed changing his spots.
In our day-to-day deals though, we too have a rich seam to mine. Stats abound.
So why not hunt some out. You could start with a single number. Yet it is best if you unearth a possible pattern. Then the power comes in the discussion of it.
Yes, your prospect may have lost a squillion in hard cash from the ‘opportunity cost’ you project. But if you can dig deeper and show how in say, 4 of 5 big situations, each suffered a key amount of pain, then you’re on firmer ground.
As my firm favourite, prospect theory, dictates, such insights are best framed in terms of ‘losses’ incurred rather than possible ‘gains’ going astray.
And remember, it’s not necessarily the numbers you use that matter so much. It is where the talking triggered by them leads. After all, the meaning of recorded music recompense slashing by two-thirds during three decades despite inflation averaging 3 to 4 percent is not in how times have changed, but on the new value of music and how the industry must evolve, leading to discussions of options to earn a living.