Sell the sizzle and buy the sizzle

Recently I went back and reread the book “Sizzlemanship” by Elmer Wheeler. Elmer Wheeler is credited with being one of the original pioneers of sales skills training and motivation industry. It’s classic stu and de nitely worth the read. e point, as you can guess by the title, is to sell what your product or service does, not what it is, meaning sell the sizzle and not the steak.

In today’s world we think about the sizzle as the KPIs, Key Performance Indicators, or the results that the company or the person purchasing the product or service might experience. For businesses and sellers, it’s making sure that we are focusing on that old radio station that buyers tune into, WIIFM, standing for “What’s in it for me.” Making sure that we know exactly how our product or service will contribute to the achievement of their goals and success.

Elmer Wheeler was way ahead of his time as we think about how business owners, entrepreneurs and salespeople think and sell. When we put the customer’s interests and results ahead of corporate pro t or commission checks, we will undoubtedly sell more of our products and services. Changing the station from WIIFM to tuning into WIIFT, “What’s in it for them.”

Now, walk with me through the transition from sales to our everyday lives. How many times are we trying to sell someone on an idea, or to help out, volunteer, join an organization, or anything else where we are seeking to have our family or friends get involved with something or buy into our idea? Most times we focus on the help we need instead of what they

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Winning

might be able to experience by participating. If you have ever been in the role of a leader in any not-for-pro t organization, committee, or other function at your children’s school or at the house of worship that you attend, you probably know exactly what I am talking about. Companies looking to get better in any area of business might consider thinking about the sizzle as looking at increasing revenues or increasing their average sales price. Maybe they are focused on improving margins, win/loss ratios, or sales behaviors. ey may look to expand through upselling and gaining more market share. Or they may be interested in reducing sales cycle time or customer attrition.

But we as individuals also have values and things that we might consider our sizzle when deciding what is in it for us, or why we may choose to get involved. When we are thinking about getting better in an area of our lives we may look at increasing prosperity, strength, or endurance. We may have a desire to improve our health, happiness, or relationships. What gets us excited may be our pursuit of expanding our knowledge, our network, or our security as we think about retirement. And maybe for some of us it’s about reducing or eliminating something in our life such as dropping weight, easing our stress, or getting rid of bad habits.

We don’t buy a gym membership, treadmill,

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Letters To The Editor

Intimidation was intent ank you for covering the appearance of FEC United and the UADF at the December Douglas County School District’s Equity Advisory Council meeting. is is an important topic, and not simply a matter of political disagreement.

It took me all of one Google search to nd where Southern Poverty Law Center lists FEC United as antigovernment. For anyone who needs help nding this: splcenter.org/ ghting-hate/extremist- les/ideology/antigovernment#state-by-state Also with minimal research is evidence of the former CEO of the Alliance Defending Freedom, Michael Farris, participating in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. So, I don’t give a lot of credence to the claim that SPLC’s judgment is awed.

Con ating the equity policy with “activism” is a blatant, and at this point, intentional misunderstanding of the policy and the objectives of the EAC. e equity policy underwent years of development and vetting with the community prior to implementation. Only after the “CRT” boogeyman came into public consciousness did the policy come under attack.

e presence of FEC United and the UADF at the EAC meeting was a direct attempt to intimidate the volunteers, sta , parents and students who give their time to conduct superintendent directed business. From the shirt emblazoned with an expletive, to the open use of homophobic slurs (f-slur, if you can believe people still use that term), xenophobic remarks about foreign teachers, disparaging remarks about the methods of the council, and ultimately leaving the meeting early in a disruptive manner, it was clear they weren’t invested in anything other than being an intimidating presence disguised as a claim for “parents’ rights.”

What about the rights of the EAC members? What about the rights of the students in our district who are subject to racist attacks? What about the rights of our LGBTQIA+ student and sta community? What about the rights of any student who doesn’t t into what these groups would call the “right” kind of person?

Let’s stop manufacturing outrage and let the EAC do what it was chartered to do.