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How marketing and sales are like a slaughterhouse...

by RickDuris
9 replies
Some of you reading may cringe. I'll probably catch some heat for this post.

That goes double if you're a vegetarian.

Regardless. If you do marketing consulting, if you write copy, I recommend you watch the HBO-produced movie "Temple Grandin"

The movie has received all sorts of accolades, but that’s not why it would be beneficial to watch.

Most of us have heard about the concept of the "greased chute."

The question is: "How do you create a greased chute?"

Temple figured it out. In of ALL industries--the slaughterhouse industry. She figured out how to gently, compassionately, respectfully (yet extremely productively) guide cattle to slaughter. (Yeah, I know… kinda creepy. However…)

Temple single-handedly transformed the slaughterhouse industry with her insights. Today, 75% of all slaughterhouses use her design. Her compassion for animals of all kinds is infinite.

I didn't know this until I watched, but there are INCREDIBLE parallels to marketing.

For instance, Gary Bencivenga encourages people: "If you're fishing, you don't want to think like fisherman, you want to think like a fish."

You see Temple not only apply this philosophy, but live it.

I don't want to give away too much of the movie, because I’d be doing you a disservice.

But I think if you can get past the initial idea of equating marketing and sales to a slaughterhouse, you'd be rewarded.

- Rick Duris

PS: The most fascinating part of this true story? Temple is autistic. She turned her disability into a definitive advantage/asset.

Not only that, but she has near Tesla-like abilities. The ability to design something completely in her mind FIRST.

You can watch a few clips of the movie on YouTube.com, but the majority of the clips on YouTube are of Temple herself. Amazing woman.

Especially considering she works in an extremely male-dominated industry.

PPS: And if you’re a Client, Partner, someone I coach or someone I’ve talked to before? Contact me. I’ll send you the DVD on my dime. No strings. It’s THAT important.

Consider it my New Year’s gift to your success in 2011. Of course, if you have HBO already, you don’t need me. You can just watch it yourself. Let me know what you think.
#amd #marketing #sales #slaughterhouse
  • Profile picture of the author Ashley Gable
    I am in fact a vegetarian and believe strongly in animal rights.

    But I also know that slaughterhouses will always be around - as easy as it was for me to give up meat, I know for many it wont. So I, along with many many others, feel she did a wonderful thing.

    As an animal rights activist mine, and many others, main concern is the life the animal has, and not so much the death. As long as the death is quick, however it happens doesnt really matter. What does matter is how that life, however short, was spent - in 'happiness' or in misery.

    Unfortunately happiness wont ever be on the menu for slaughterhouse animals, but lessening the misery they do go through is something that everyone can get behind and support. I admire Temple Grandin very much for her work!

    But back to your reason for posting, I can see how they parallel. Temple removed all the fearful objections the cows were faced with and allowed them to enter and move without hesitation or reservations.

    I must admit I have yet to even get a little grease on any of my letters

    It sounds easy but has proven to be quite hard!
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  • Profile picture of the author 247Copywriter
    Originally Posted by RickDuris View Post

    Some of you may cringe. I'll probably catch some heat for this post.

    That goes double if you're a vegetarian.

    If you do marketing consulting, if you write copy, I recommend you watch the HBO-produced movie "Temple Grandin"

    The movie has received all sorts of accolades, but that's not why it would be beneficial to watch.

    Most of us have heard about the concept of the "greased chute."

    The question is: "How do you create a greased chute?"

    Temple figured it out. In of ALL industries--the slaughterhouse industry. She figured out how to gently, compassionately, respectfully (yet extremely productively) guide cattle to slaughter. (Yeah, I know... kinda creepy. However...)

    Temple single-handedly transformed the slaughterhouse industry with her insights. Today, 75% of all slaughterhouses use her design. Her compassion for animals of all kinds is infinite.

    I didn't know this until I watched, but there are INCREDIBLE parallels to marketing.

    For instance, Gary Bencivenga encourages people: "If you're fishing, you don't want to think like fisherman, you want to think like a fish."

    You see Temple not only apply this philosophy, but live it.

    I don't want to give away too much of the movie, because I'd be doing you a disservice.

    But I think if you can get past the initial idea of equating marketing and sales to a slaughterhouse, you'd be rewarded.

    - Rick Duris

    PS: The most fascinating part of this true story? Temple is autistic. She turned her disability into a definitive advantage/asset.

    Not only that, but she has near Tesla-like abilities. The ability to design something completely in her mind FIRST.

    You can watch a few clips of the movie on YouTube.com, but the majority of the clips on YouTube are of Temple herself. Amazing woman.

    Especially considering she works in an extremely male-dominated industry.

    PPS: And if you're a Client, Partner, someone I coach or someone I've talked to before? Contact me. I'll send you the DVD on my dime. No strings. It's THAT important.

    Consider it my New Year's gift to your success in 2011. Of course, if you have HBO already, you don't need me. You can just watch it yourself. Let me know what you think.
    Clever swipe and deploy from Ross Bowring's post from last summer.
    Signature
    --->----->----->----->-----> MarkAndrews IMCopywriting <-----<-----<-----<-----<---
    http://www.IMCopywriting.com
    Mark@IMCopywriting.com
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    • Profile picture of the author Ross Bowring
      Originally Posted by 247Copywriter View Post

      Clever swipe and deploy from Ross Bowring's post from last summer.
      Had to use the Google. Forgotten about it. Rick didn't swipe anything though.

      Ross
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  • Profile picture of the author Ross James
    Does this involve hypnotizing chickens?



    Sorry had to
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  • Profile picture of the author vip-ip
    Slaughterhouses aren't pretty, but they work. In a way, you want any business to be "pretty" - good customer service, timely deliveries, continuous outlook for innovation, yadda-yadda-yadda ... but what a slaughterhouse has that the large majority of start-ups don't have is PERSISTENCE.

    Day in and day out, in go the animals, out goes the prime rib. Week after week, month after month. In a way, I do agree: it's like a really good salesman who's cranking out calls, follow-up emails, and demo appointments - whatever fancies your business. A slaughterhouse isn't all things in one: it performs one specific action, but it does it extremely well. Not only to the point of profitability, but to the point of viability ... which is what great businesses are all about.

    Best Regards,
    vip-ip ...
    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author TurnKey Internet
    I don't know if the parallel works exactly, but I do like the idea of thinking like the fish... imagining what would get you to click or buy and using that knowledge in your work. As far as the slaughterhouse thing, I try not to think of my prospects as mindless herds even if I do sometimes wonder
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  • Profile picture of the author ProfWriter
    Hmm. Well, I guess I see the parallel-- that the better you are at thinking like your clients and "greasing the chute" the better you will be at getting them to do what you want.

    I just read Grandin's book "Animals in Translation." Highly recommended!
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