“You know in life you have to be a salesman. I know so many talented people, but they can’t sell themselves and they’re all failures. And I tell you this as a little bit of advice. I’ve seen people that are better than Frank Sinatra, they’re incredible entertainers but they can’t sell themselves and they never get the shot. So whether you like it or not, you have to be a salesman about yourself. It’s really important.”
– Donald Trump
Marketing and sales are connected pretty closely believe it or not. Some of the things that first come to mind when I hear marketing is advertising and selling objects, but I overlook the importance of selling yourself. Now I don’t mean physically selling yourself, but by selling who you are as an individual and what makes you standout.
Your personal brand so important nowadays in any scenario. For example, a friend of mine went down to Los Angeles to meet with the manager of the Stone Temple Pilots. You gotta understand that hundreds of people walk into meeting with people in the music industry (if they’re lucky enough to get one in the first place). Generally, I would like to say that they all make decent sounding music. It’s your ability to sell the story behind your music and your image as a musician that sets you apart from some other group and the next big thing. In this meeting, my friend was able to sell his brand so well that he created a partnership and is now in the works to release his album in the US sometime this coming year.
I just thought that this quote jumped out at me when watching The Apprentice and it applied so well to my friend’s situation.