A discussion about sales, sales tips and advice, and about those who land the deal

Yes, that Hezbollah.  The terrorist group at the center of the current crisis in the Middle East - "Day 145,398" or so, if you're keeping track at home.

Last night I turned on the TV in our kitchen and caught a report from CNN's Anderson Cooper in the Hezbollah controlled portion of Beirut.  He was with a group of journalists being led around by Hezbollah public relations coordinators, being shown specific shots of bombed out buildings, taken out by the Israeli military.

One scene, described by Cooper himself, made me stop in my tracks (on the way to our refridgerator): A group of reporters was led to a street.  The street was lined with ambulances, sitting silently with their drivers outside chatting and smoking.  Once the press was assembled, the ambulances were ordered out with sirens blaring.  They looped around the block, and came back. 

The purpose: To give reporters a chance to get video of ambulances rushing to the scene of the most recent Israeli attack.  It wasn't a real emergency at that moment...it was all done just to provide video.  This surprised Cooper.  I was impressed that he gave the "behind the scenes" story of what was actually going on.

My reason for writing this: Selling takes place in unlikely places.  But everywhere, in every way, selling is taking place...around your kitchen table, on vacation, in the Middle East, on TV...everywhere.  Even terrorists find value in developing a sales strategy - this particular incident was meant for Western countries in an attempt to invoke sympathy for their cause.

If Hezbollah finds value in developing and carrying-out a coordinated sales and public relations strategy in the middle of a war, don't you think you should do the same for whatever you're marketing?