I think that the sit-com “The Office” is a very well known show that is full of laughter and entertainment. I have watched the show for years now and there are many good and bad examples of sales tactics that are used all throughout the show. I’m going to talk about 2 of the ones that stood out to me.
- Set Sale Activities (Season 5 Episode 22 – Dream Team)
After Michael first quits working at Dunder Mifflin to start his own paper company, he spends the morning in his condo, in his robe, making a lot of pancaked due to him being overwhelmed with all of the work that was to come with starting a new business. Pam soon discovers this and makes him make a list of things that he needs to do. So, Michael does that and than begins to calm down. Making a list of goals and steps reduces the stress that may come with accomplishing a big goal.
2. Its all about the relationships (Season 2 Episode 7 – The Client)
Michael and Jan meet with a potential client that could save Dunder Mifflin from having to downsize. Jans tactic was to get straight down to business, but Michael keeps interjecting and steering the conversation away from the business transaction, Jan becomes to grow frustrated, but meanwhile Michael is forming a connection with the client and making the sale more personable. After hours of building a rapport, Michael finally approaches the subject of the sale of paper. He makes the sale. The client was comfortable enough with Michael that he was able to make the sale and save Dunder Mifflin. Michael talks later in the episode that sales is all about the people and that he approaches clients like a code that needs cracking. Don’t treat the client like another number or sale, but more as a friend.
BoweryJE22
This is a great post, Molly! One of the most interesting things to see as I rewatch the Office over the years is that Michael is not as bad of a salesperson as most viewers think him to be! Yes he’s rough around the edges, unorthodox, and oftentimes crass, but sometimes his heart is in the right place and his personable nature gets him a lot of sales that would otherwise have resulted in disaster without his input! This is a good reminder to see clients not just as business people but also just people!
I loved this post, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the sales tactics used in the Office. It’s interesting to see how even in a fictional setting, there are examples of good and bad sales tactics that can be applied in real life. I agree with your points on the importance of setting goals and breaking them down into actionable steps to reduce stress and the significance of building relationships with clients to make the sales process more personable. Ultimately, sales is about people and understanding their needs and wants.
Very enjoyable read! It’s very interesting to rewatch some of the episodes and realize how much sales actually goes on in the show, and how good some of the clips can be. There are plenty of good and bad examples of sales in the show, but for someone who doesn’t know what a salesperson is or what they go through, The Office isn’t such a bad thing to watch to get a certain idea. It is so important to actually care for the customers and understand the needs and wants they have, while connecting on a personal level throughout the whole experience.