32 How to Sell Yourself
Lou Cook, former president of the Alexandria, Virginia, school
board uses this adage: “Sometimes the mind can absorb only what
the seat can endure.”
First
Start by telling them what they want to know.
I’m not saying tell them what they want to hear.
That’s the classic mistake of the political consultant who guides
elected officials with gimmickry and poll numbers.
Second
If there’s still interest, add what you feel they need to know.Third
When you’re finished, stop.•••
That is the hardest job of all for the professional windbag.
And nobody likes a windbag. Not even another windbag.
What they want to know
This is the information you can share with them that affects
them personally.
The key question to ask yourself is, “What does this have to
do with their lives?” In other words,“How is this information rel-
evant to the people in my audience?”
If you relate your message to their family, their pocketbook,
their job security, their social security, healthcare and other ben-
efits, their children’s and grandchildren’s well-being, you can sell
them on your ideas. They’re hooked.
Your material can be presented factually, anecdotally, or pic-
torially, but it has to involve the audience by way of the story you
tell and the presentation of that story.
People I train are constantly telling me, “But Arch, my mate-
rial is dull.” I have news for them and for you: There’s no such
thing as dull material. Only dull presenters.
Early in the first Clinton administration, the big issue was
healthcare. The president and first lady started off brilliantly. They
were terrific with statements such as, “If your mother is in a nurs-