Magnum, P.I And Dirty Harry Take On Sales Professionals

Yes, I know what you're thinking. Borowski’s lost his marbles.

How could he possibly tie Thomas Magnum and Dirty Harry together with Sales Professionals?

Let’s check out both characters.

Dirty Harry Callahan, Clint Eastwood’s character in five highly successful films, portrayed a renegade cop.

Magnum, P.I. featured Tom Selleck in a hit TV series for CBS that ran for eight years.

Here’s where the tie-in to sales professionals comes in.

Both characters uttered those famous words, "I know what you're thinking."

So you're still thinking, "What’s this got to do with sales professionals?

In 1971, when Clint Eastwood said, "I know what you're thinking, punk," he followed it with, "You’re thinking, ‘Did he fire six shots or only five’."

That’s what Dirty Harry Callahan said to Scorpio, the bad guy.

But in reality, he was addressing everyone in the theatre.

Everyone in the theatre, or at least those that were sucked in to the drama and suspense and the action, were thinking to themselves, "Did he fire six shots or only five?"

This was a brilliant piece of script writing because the actor was talking directly to the theatre audience.

The series, Magnum, P.I., featuring Tom Selleck, blended action, comedy, and suspense.

But here again, the writers used the same technique in the 1980s that made the Dirty Harry movies successful in the 1970s.

In every show, Thomas Magnum talked to the TV audience. Again, you were drawn into the show because you felt he was talking to you. He often started the a segment by saying, "I know what your thinking."

Again, brilliant script writing.

Both actors talked to the audience by "knowing what they were thinking."

If you want to be successful as sales professionals, you always have to focus on your clients. You have to think of them and you must say, "Yes, I know what you're thinking."

You need to convince them that you know what keeps them up at night.

You must know what they think when someone promises them the sky and then disappoints them.

You must know what unmet expectations they have experienced with you.

You must get to know your clients. You must know what they want, need, expect or are looking for.

You must know what they are thinking, not what you think about. That’s how you connect with them - on their level, not yours.

In other words, you must use a PERSONAL APPROACH when you communicate with them.

I think Dirty Harry and Thomas Magnum had the right idea.

So go ahead. Make my day!

Check that. Go ahead and make your client's day.