One of the most renowned artists of our time, Salvador Dali possessed a highly imaginative and grandiose style with his work. He championed the use of symbolism, particularly with his famous "melting watches" work in The Persistence of Memory.
Budding artists looked to Dali for examples of truly "out-of-the-box" thinking. Like the strokes of a paintbrush, social selling exists as an art form gracefully directed by the artist. Gifted sellers understand the tools available to them, and can deftly maneuver through the sales process. They also take risks, looking outside of the commonly used sales tactics for new leads and opportunities.
Here are three of Dali's most memorable pieces, and how their messages translate to the social selling world:
1. The Persistence of Memory
This piece included the first instance of Dali's famous melting pocket watch, which symbolizes an Einsteinian view of space/time relativity. Dali constructed a message that would eventually move him toward more scientific discovery in later pieces.
Discovery is the first step for any modern social seller, through the initial prospect research and toward the final closing. Dali was a champion of fighting conventional wisdom, and social selling likewise runs against conventional sales tactics. Engagement and relationship building are the foundation for social sales, at times a stark contrast to direct and outdated selling techniques.
2. Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach
The face that is melded into the wine glass represents a double meaning. Much like the popular wine glass optical illusion, the painting can be interpreted in various perspectives. Dali used these images to plot out the unconscious thoughts and feelings inside a person's mind.
While we can't identify what a prospect is thinking on an unconscious level, social selling can give us a much more detailed look into what motivates them.
Personal profiles are a glimpse into this information, but make sure to follow their shares, recommendations and comments - these social signals are overt signals to help understand prospect interests.
3. Living Still Life
Another of Dali's masterworks, Living Still Life depicts inanimate objects on a table. However, Dali himself noted that while the picture can be termed a still life, nothing in the image is actually still. The human mind interprets the objects in motion - a tacit reminder that our perceptions never fully stop until we leave this world.
Social selling likewise isn't an on/off process. The final sale should be considered a jumpstart toward a lengthy social relationship - sustained with group participation, recommendations, and the occasional social check-in. Be prepared to constantly keep in touch with prospects.
Dali is often noted as a pioneer of surrealism, but he was fascinated by scientific pursuits later in life. If social selling seems surreal to you, take a few tips from Dali's explorations - and see how they affect your ability to close the deal.