{"id":662,"date":"2016-06-20T10:57:02","date_gmt":"2016-06-20T14:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/?p=662"},"modified":"2017-10-03T17:07:35","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T21:07:35","slug":"the-trump-u-sales-playbook-a-marvelous-primer-on-the-dark-art-of-b2c-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/2016\/06\/the-trump-u-sales-playbook-a-marvelous-primer-on-the-dark-art-of-b2c-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trump U Sales Playbook: A Marvelous Primer on the Dark Art of B2C Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wanna start with an apology: Based on a very brief hot-take published in Slate<\/i>, I posted this quip:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Um\u2026this is totally run-of-the-mill sales material. Not saying it’s not sleazy, just saying it’s not that special. https:\/\/t.co\/43OC4yCqds<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 David Erik Nelson (@SquiDaveo) June 3, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After seeing the these two\u00a0Jon Oliver episodes\u00a0(vol 1<\/a> and vol 2<\/a>), I finally dug into the\u00a0<\/span>2010 Trump University Playbook<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in earnest (as opposed to just re-reading the same nibblets\u00a0everyone was passing around). And you know what? This playbook is<\/em> special.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the Slate<\/i> excerpts were chosen for the lulz, not the insight, all I saw was what was there: Standard-issue sales training materials, with the genre-mandated jankety English and flop-sweat sheen of\u00a0Glengarry Glen Ross<\/em> bravado.\u00a0 <\/span>If you have experience with consumer-oriented sales (i.e., “B2C”\u2014that’s “business to consumer”, generally contrasted\u00a0to “B2B,” which is\u00a0“business to business”), none of this is that unusual. And so that’s what I tweeted.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, of course, I was looking at it as someone who’s worked in sales, studied the psychology of selling, written sales copy, and slogged through a lot<\/em>\u00a0of terrible sales\u00a0material\u00a0and ethically questionable sales advice.\u00a0 <\/span>After digging into the playbook with my “Normal Human” eyes on, I’m seeing the ickiness much more clearly. That fantastic, revelatory ickiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Give these materials a gander, esp. the “Sales Playbook” section starting around pg. 96.\u00a0 <\/span>Read it, and get a sense of what a steep disadvantage you are at, as a normal human thrust into a professional sales situation (e.g., buying a car, sitting down with a “financial advisor,” being dragged to court, being interrogated).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is, in fact, a pretty tight textbook on the dark arts of high-pressure sales\/persuasion situations where there is a built-in power differential that favors the seller.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Frankly, if Trump U\u00a0really wanted to give students value, then screw real estate investing; they should have\u00a0handed out\u00a0copies of this.\u00a0“Here’s how we suckered you; go forth and sucker others!”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe not worth $995, but certainly worth more than nothing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED READING<\/strong>:\u00a02010 Trump University Playbook<\/a><\/p>\n