Selling in a Crisis

13This Ain't Easy Street

“Lose weight effortlessly,” the announcer says over an image of models admiring their ripped abs. “With this revolutionary, breakthrough pill, you'll never have to worry about your weight again. Eat what you want. Forget about exercise. Just take this pill and you'll have the body of your dreams.”

If these commercials didn't work, the companies that run them would quit. But they do work.

As Joe De Sena explains, “Easy is the greatest marketing hook of all time.” So companies promise that you can lose weight, flip houses, or get rich with no pain, no sacrifice, and no effort. Their phones ring off the hook, even though intuitively, most people know these promises are overhyped and not true. It is just human nature to seek the easy way out.

It is critical that you awaken from the delusion that somehow you are going to find a way to make this easy. You are not.

In a crisis, nothing is easy. You've got to get your ass up and go out there and make things happen yourself. Don't count on easy leads, any help, or for anyone to pick up your slack. There are no days off. No vacations. No lunch breaks. It's just damn hard work.

In a crisis, you fear making mistakes. You question your judgment, doubt your intuition, and become overwhelmed with worry. Sometimes, in a state of panic, you'll make rash decisions and do dumb things that compound your problems. In this state, it's all too easy to succumb to fear and become paralyzed and immobile.

However, inaction is ...