Here’s what strippers can teach Agencies about New Business

Agency New Business is the epitome of a dog-eat-dog business. Anything goes, and any little edge can bring huge benefits.?With this in mind, and at the risk of being politically incorrect, I would like to offer up some useful insights gleaned from one of the world’s oldest activities-the art of stripping. ?Also, before I am accused of being sexist, I would like to clarify that I am referring both to male and female strippers.

Here goes:

Always remember that it is a show. No one wants to see a stripper just going through the paces like a robot. Just like that, no one wants to sit through a credentials presentation that is a lifeless recitation of a deck. Make it interesting. Make it spicy. Make it lively. Even if you have done it a million times before, give the performance of your life.

Highlight your best feature. All strippers have the same “features”. However, not all “features” are the same. Some are larger, some are longer, some are smoother. The great strippers know their killer feature and design the routine to highlight it. All Agencies provide similar service at a basic level, but every Agency is a better at one thing than another. Figure out what that one thing is and highlight it in your performance. It is what sets you apart and what a Marketer will remember you for.

Play to the Client’s fantasy. Some people like nurses. Others like construction workers. Others have more specific fantasies. A good stripper will figure out what the fantasy is and play to it. Similarly, some Clients dream about leads, others about sales volumes. Retail clients fantasize about foot traffic. All Clients salivate at the thought of hitting their targets, earning their bonus, and getting promoted. Every prospect has a different fantasy, and it is the Agency’s job to figure it out and then build out the performance as a promise to bring the fantasy to life.

Leave them wanting more. Every great stripper knows that there is a point in the performance where the client will do practically anything to have the last piece of clothing come off. This is where the stripper has maximum leverage and can extract the greatest benefit. Once the clothing comes off the power of imagination is lost, reality sets in, and all leverage is gone. Smart Agencies will know that they need to take the prospect to the point where he believes the Agency can help him achieve his goal. And they must stop there. No giving away strategies, ideas, or executions. No losing leverage. ?If he wants that, he must hire them.

Make a connection. Every great stripper knows the power of eye contact because it conveys that the performance is for that specific person, no one else. It magnifies the power of the fantasy by personalizing it. The same applies for Agencies. If they can connect on a personal level with the prospect, they will improve the chances of landing the business. No one wants to work with a robot. Everyone wants to work with someone they have chemistry with.

Practice makes perfect. Even though a great stripper will make it look effortless, it took a lot of work to truly master the routine. Likewise, the Agency needs to put in a lot of work to make the performance look magical and effortless. There is no substitute for training and rehearsal. And an expert who will tell them the truth and push them is invaluable.

The price signals the product. Like cars, hotels, restaurants, and many other categories, the more expensive the product the better it is perceived to be. An expensive stripper is thought to be much better than a cheap one, even though the reality might not be so. Agencies need to think twice about discounting price. It may win them an account in the short term, but it is very damaging in the long term. Being thought of as a “cheap” agency will get you the same sort of Clients as a cheap stripper.

There you have it. Seven insights gleaned from experts at the art of seduction which, if you really boil it down, is what New Business is all about.