5 sales lessons from Jack White

Recently, I saw musician Jack White perform at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. It was an outstanding performance. As I watched, I couldn’t help but think of some of the sales lessons he provided during his show.

In the last couple of months, White has done 30 shows across North America and Europe. But you would never know it by the energy he put into his performance. He danced, strutted, jumped and played guitar as if it were the first night of the tour.

Sales lesson #1: Are you putting 100 percent into each and every sales call, meeting and presentation?

Many performers spend time between songs talking. White did very little of this. After all, we weren’t there to hear him talk but to play.

Sales lesson #2: It’s common for salespeople to talk too much. Limit your talking and spend more time asking questions.

He had a simple stage show. Unlike many concert musicians, White did not have an elaborate stage setup. There were no pyrotechnics, no big screens and no lasers. At first, I was surprised by this, but as the show progressed, I realized I was focused on the music instead of all the other stuff that often happens during a concert.

Sales lesson #3: Less is more. Sales presentations don’t have to be elaborate or complex to be effective.