When you think of “The Office,” you probably think of Michael and Dwight stirring up a fiasco. The crazy moments of the show undermine one of Michaels exceptional skills; Building relationships. This is the most important part of high-ticket sales. Michael’s innate ability to care about the people, instead of the sale, is why he was Dunder Mifflin’s best salesman. You can note some key learnings in sales for the first time in Season 2 Episode 7 when Michael and Jan meet with a high-stakes client.
Season 2 Episode 7 – The Client
Michael and Jan are sent to meet with a potential client. The stakes are high. In order to avoid downsizing the branch, they need to close this account. If you pay attention to how Michael interacts with this client, you will see that he seeks to build a relationship before closing the sale. While Jan plans to come in and get straight to business, Michael has a different idea. Instead, Michael jumps straight into the menu and suggests that the three of them share an appetizer while cracking a joke. The conversation slowly drifts away from business and they spend most of the night drinking, talking, and becoming friends. It is only after laying a solid foundation of friendship that Michael engages in a conversation revolving around the deal. This is powerful symbolism. Because of this empathic approach, Michael is able to flourish as a salesman. Throughout the show, Michael regularly closes high-ticket sales deals by caring about his customers and how they feel. This deserves the utmost of attention.
The Product
When taking into account the symbolism of Michael’s character, you have to consider the product his company is selling. Dunder Mifflin is a small paper company in a progressively paperless world. They struggle to stay afloat in an environment that is consistently making efforts to marginalize their business model. In order to keep a sustainable share of the market, they must over-deliver wherever they can. Throughout the show, Michael makes efforts to over-deliver service quality to his customers. It goes a long way. Not just in the show, but in real life as well.
People will never go out of business.
One of the best quotes to extract from the show as sales advice, is “Business is always personal.” That statement couldn’t be truer. When I started my business, my sales calls were to close deals; In a sense, to find a need as quick as possible and exploit it as leverage. I learned very quickly that I needed to develop a deeper connection with my clients. Identifying a problem and offering your solution too soon comes off as pushy or too sales-y and will probably cost you the deal. There are countless people that are able to do exactly what you do, and probably for cheaper. It is your individuality, your likability, and reliability that shape you as an ideal partner in a business. How are you going to differentiate yourself from the herd of competitors?
“People come back to us time and time again because they feel welcomed, they feel respected and they feel like their needs matter; They are treated like human beings.” – Michael Scott
Michael Scott might not be the best manager, but his character stands as a testament some major key learnings in sales; A salesman who cares about business but cares more about the people.
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