“You named your fake detective agency “Psych?” Why didn’t you just call it, “Hey, we’re fooling you and the police department; hope we don’t make a mistake and somebody dies because of it?” Among the Mark Zuckerbergs, Peter Thiels, and Kevin Systroms are the Shawn Spencers of the world.
© Matthias Clamer
Shawn Spencer is the posterboy of American entrepreneurship. With nothing but an idea and the talent of observation, Shawn grew a Santa Barbaran start-up into a respected consultant on high-profile cases and a regular support staff for federal authorities.
So how exactly does this Val Kilmer-enthusiast with no college education do it? The rest of us can only hope to stumble across a niche as revolutionary as psychic detective work, but once you come across the “aha” moment, how can you capitalize on your million dollar idea?
The ability to successfully nurture a business requires as much managerial skill and entrepreneurial spirit as it does relationship skills. Shawn’s greatest asset is not his attention to detail but instead his extroverted personality.
Sales: The Spencer Family Secret
Prospects are primarily interested in two concepts:
The solution
Though his service in itself is unique, psychic detective work is not Shawn’s solution. Instead, he offers to apprehend an elusive art thief, break Bollywood curses, and domesticate polar bears. Because detective work is not a paradigm and each case bears its own history, clients are not interested in Shawn’s generic psychic efforts to read palms and tarot cards but instead to arrive at the truth. As the truth always differs, so too do Shawn’s solutions.
The seller is not selling a product, but instead a unique solution to your prospects’ problems. Because each prospect carries a different need, reframe your product for each presentation so that you address your prospect’s needs at the forefront of your pitch.
The brand
A brand is more than a logo. Your company’s brand is developed through its history, its personality, and the faces that represent the business. Prospects want to do business with a human, not a corporate talking-head. As much as you do embody the values of your company brand, don’t be afraid to display your genuine personality to develop a real, long-term professional relationship.
As one-half of Santa Barbara’s finest freelance crime-fighting duo, Shawn combines his youthful charm with Gus’ conscience to create the image of a team in which clients can place their trust. Through his alleged third-eye, Shawn can take minute details and extrapolate them to paint the story of each individual’s life with striking accuracy. Shawn’s psychic mojo not only allows him to see the details that others miss, but as a result he is able to empathize from the angle of a compassionate human being rather than a revenue-driven service provider.
Though the successes of Psych we see that entrepreneurship requires not only a brilliant idea, but also the personality to execute the plan. Shawn’s genius as a psychic comes from his power of acute observation. Through his talent he is able to provide a service – but perhaps more importantly, it allows him to know people. As you build your business, use your psychic skills to connect with clients and partners to bridge the emotional gap in business.
