What is it about particular shows that make people so obsessed? What is this phenomenon of “the fandom” and how does it spread? If you are the faithful follower of any particular show or franchise, you may have a basic understanding of fandom. Here are a few symptoms: You can quote all your favorite lines or lyrics. You know details about the actors, musicians, owners, etc. that the average person does not. You can instantly recognize merchandise regarding your fandom, and then feel a special bond between yourself and the owner of said merchandise. You may follow the show, band, or organization on facebook and twitter, and the background on your computer or phone proves it. You let nothing come between you and that that big event, concert, or new season. You may even dabble in cosplay like this little guy.
Fandom proves to be addicting and fun. But once you love your fandom so much, how do you go about convincing all your friends to enjoy it too? Too often, the scenario goes a little something like this.
How can we improve our selling technique by looking at the way we share the things we love?Here are two examples of how I have been sold on and sold fandoms myself.
A few summers back, I was visiting my best friend from home. She is a very much the hipster- type, so when I arrived to find her watching Doctor Who, I was quite surprised. I don’t see her very often, and she means a lot to me, so of course I agreed to finish watching the episode with her. With my luck, it was the second to last episode of the season, meaning that it ended in a terrible cliffhanger and I was horribly confused between all the strange aliens and wibbly-wobbly time travel. I personally have a fairly strong distaste for science fiction, but my sheer curiosity to see what happened compelled me to watch more. But alas, I wouldn’t understand any of the plot line unless I started from the beginning. At first I tolerated it. Then I somewhat secretly liked it. And eventually it became hard to conceal my enjoyment. The truth is, had my friend only told me that I would like the show, I would not have believed her. I needed to see it myself (have a sample, if you will) before I could even begin to show interest. People can be very curious. And I just can’t leave a suspenseful ending.
(Even if the cliffhangers aren’t as dramatic as we sometimes think.)
This year for RA appreciation day, the theme was Sherlock. I have enjoyed the books, and admit to being held captive to the fandom of the BBC show. The entire week leading up to the day I was excited. And all throughout the scavenger hunts, parties, and games- I understood all of the references and quotes. I swung my umbrella like Mycroft, sang the theme song, and yelled “the game is on!” There were a few members of my RA staff who had not yet seen the show, and were somewhat in the dark about all the fun we were having. Once again, this peaked a bit of their curiosity. Suddenly, they no longer wanted to be out of the loop. Without even intentionally trying to make a sale, my passion and excitement about the topic caught the attention of prospective “buyers”. So I willingly offered to host a movie night to get them involved. I created a safe environment where they wouldn’t feel outnumbered. At first, I would need to remind them multiple times to get them to attend. And now, they beg me not to make them wait a full week before watching the next episode.
So what are the key takeaways about selling that we can learn from sharing fandoms?
- Without pressuring others, provide safe opportunities for them to sample your product. It should be less about “making a sale” and more about “sharing something good”.
Like butterbeer.
- People are curious and don’t like not understanding. If something big is going on, they want to have the opportunity to form their own opinions.
- Passion is contagious. Seeing a friend be excited or overjoyed over something you haven’t experienced makes you want to try it too.
So there you have it. The next time you want to sell, remember some of what you love and how it came to pass that you became sold on it yourself.
BoweryJE22
This is a great approach. All too often I find myself dabbling in a bunch of my friends passions because I just want to try it, hence why I started playing pickle ball this summer. I feel it is just like food. You cannot judge it unless you try it. It may look silly but people don’t just play something if it is not fun. This is a great strategy to apply to selling as we can introduce people slowly but surely to our product.
No-pressure selling is the way to be in the 21st century. We like power and control – thus when the sales rep is more like our personal assistant we respond better. Nobody likes getting cornered. Creating a free-feeling environment is a tough skill to learn, but you’re right – is so important to getting people to fall in love with the product. When pressure leaves, there’s room to be genuine. Great post, Alaina!
This is a very unique perspective, and I completely agree with it. I’m a bit of a nerd who has his fair share of fandoms and I was agreeing with every word of this as I read. Well done!