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Showing posts with label Professional Selling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Professional Selling. Show all posts

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

Trumped up not your selling style ?

Some folk believe that “Telling is selling.” Others on the other hand argue that selling cannot purely a one-way process of communication like a drill sergeant shouting orders across the parade ground. Selling cannot be solely a  dated “challenger sale” battering ram.

Certainly the Trump style may not sit comfortably in your own make up. However let’s look at its strengths and weaknesses. Whether you are pro or anti Donald Trump put that aside a moment and let's examine the pros and cons of the style.

Trumped Up Selling Style :

A  communicator who clearly states what (s) he his/ hers organisation, their products and services can offer the customer ( voter).

Businesslike and focused – Commercially savvy 

Some of his supporters believe in their man who has run a business successfully and so can "fix" America's finances. Others like his blunt, straight-talking style.

Some may consider the style more akin to a bull dozer that flattens all before them. The strengths of the style are communicating direct and clear messages.
  e.g.  Campaign slogan "Make America great again." 
There’e too much PC talk.

Trumps selling effort has focused on five clear messages

  • The USA Economy -  a man with credible Business track record A touch of the Ross Perot about him
  • The voice of Anti-Immigration cause -
  • Name recognition – celebrity status. from the Apprentice TV show. 
  • WYSIWYG ( what you see is what you get) 25% of the respondents said it's "extremely important" that a candidate stand up for his or her beliefs in the face of criticism support Mr Trump. Mr Bush was a distant second at 11%.
  • The 'silent majority' , the ‘fed up’ crowd, Much like the UK conservative Party who were swept to power by the 'shy tory' vote which was not picked up by the pollsters. Mr Trump We're tired of being pushed around, kicked around, and acting and being led by stupid people."  Contrary to certain beliefs not all buyers want a 'relationship'.

This selling style tells it as it is ( at least from the salesperson’s point of view!). 

Despite Mr Trump's controversial comments on Mexican immigrants and Sen. John McCain's war-hero status.

He was still top of NBC News Survey Monkey Poll  taken after the debate with his comments about Fox News anchor Megan Kelly  with  23 %. Senator Ted Cruz was next on the list with 13 %. In the debate Mr Trump was voted 2nd with  18%   to former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina at 22%.

Double or Quits Gambler:

And far from backing down after the outcry his comments have provoked, he tends tp amplify them - or "doubling down" doubling the wager to use the jargon - and that will left the other nine co-debaters shuffling uneasily at their podiums.

Rubbishing the competition – does it work ? Can it harm?

Mr. Trump has rubbished the competition, and publicly criticised former colleagues for example


  •  "I just realized that if you listen to Carly Fiorina for more than ten minutes straight, you develop a massive headache. She has zero chance!" Trump tweeted.


  • Jeb Bush's gaffe over women's health funding last week, saying he "came out horribly" and that the comment about overfunding -- which Bush said was meant to reference Planned Parenthood -- "will go down to haunt him and be the same as Romney's '47%.'"



  • Of blogger Erick Erickson's decision to revoke Trump's invitation to the weekend's conservative RedState Gathering, Trump said last Sunday: "This guy's a loser. He's backed so many candidates who have lost."

 Such a selling style equips you to negotiate robustly and close strongly.

Where such a style may be found wanting is in poor building of human relations, particularly with those whose views they disagree with. 
They are likely to pounce on protagonists' words and not listen. They are likely to argue as their default tactic.. They are likely to attack anyone who challenges or criticises them

Having looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the Trump selling style let us now look at how it relates to Professional Selling.

To understand your full responsibility  as a professional salesperson you need to look at your job from three different viewpoints:


  1. Your customer’s viewpoint
  2. Your company’s viewpoint
  3. Your own viewpoint

Today’s professional sales executive needs to merge many roles and satisfy many needs.

1.       Your Client’s viewpoint

To be fully successful in opening, building, maintaining and servicing an account there are four different styles upon which to draw, depending on the business situation that you face at any one time.  These are:

Diplomat:  a friendly representative who relates well to other people.

Bulldozer: a persuasive communicator who clearly communicates what his organisation can offer. Not afraid to challenge buyers.

Administrator: an efficient organiser who makes things happen as they should.

Consultative Seller: a business adviser who helps to identify and satisfy needs and analyse and solve problems.


Related Links



Selling skills audit

Monday, 31 October 2016

Selling Halloween 6 selling saints to celebrate this All Hallows Tide 2016

So the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the  year dedicated to celebrating the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.

Saints of Selling

Here are 6 sales hallows whose lived values you may care to celebrate this All Hallow's eve. (3 Laymen and 3 priests) all salespeople of a sort

Amand -persevering and courageous  prospector
Expeditus  - Time focused target beater.
Francis of Assisi – team leader extraordinaire
Homobonus – Good and generous
Nicholas of Myra – secret giver
Secundus of Asti – committed and dedicated

All of the above are patron saints to merchants, dealers and business people. Of course some of their stories may be mythical but the essence of virtue and good conduct can be learnt from their story nonetheless, we go about the business of building trust in our business.



1. The persevering and prospecting traveller Saint Amand

Amandus (c. 584 – 675),  Saint Amand, was a bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht and one of the great Christian missionaries of Flanders.

He was made a missionary bishop in France in 628, without a fixed diocese. (No local fixed sales  territory but national Account responsibility.)

 He evangelised ( prospected )the pagan inhabitants of Ghent, later extending his field of operations to all of Flanders.


Under Amand's supervision monasteries were established at Ghent and Mont Blandin, the first in Belgium ( Sales management skills).

At  70 years old, the inhabitants of the Basque country asked him to return to their country to evangelize, although 30 years earlier he had preached there in vain. ( Long term Account developer)

Returning home, he founded several more monasteries in present-day Belgium with the help of king Dagobert. ( Further Account Growth)

2. ‘Seize the day ‘ Saint Expeditus

Information concerning Saint Expeditus can be found only in martyrologies, so precise details about his existence cannot be obtained.


Saint Expeditus is commemorated on  April 19, , Melitene (now Malatya, Turkey),

The name "Expeditus" which may be a misnomer has  evoked puns, so he has become the saint of rapidity. At first, he was invoked for urgent causes; he has since become the patron of dealers; he is also implored for success in lawsuits.

He is portrayed as a soldier with a crow with the writing "cras" ("tomorrow") underfoot.

In Germanic countries, the saint indicates a clock, whereas in the rest of the world he has a cross with the writing "hodie" ("today") in his hand.


3. The Team builder and inventor of the Christmas Crib - St. Francis

St. Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but nicknamed Francesco ("the Frenchman") by his father, 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher.

He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis for men and women not able to live the lives of itinerant preachers followed by the early members of the Order of Friars Minor or the monastic lives of the Poor Clares.

 Though he was never ordained to the Catholic priesthood, Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

Francis' father was Pietro di Bernardone, a prosperous silk merchant.( Francis is a patron saint of merchants)
 On a pilgrimage to Rome, he joined the poor in begging at St. Peter's Basilica.

The experience moved him to live in poverty. Francis returned home, began preaching on the streets, and soon amassed a following

The Franciscan Order had grown to such an extent that its primitive organisational structure was no longer sufficient. He returned to Italy to organise the Order. Once his community was authorised by the Pope, he withdrew increasingly from external affairs.

In 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas manger scene.

 It is customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of October 4. 

He is also known for his love of the Eucharist, and for the creation of the Christmas crib or Nativity Scene.


4. Good and honest Saint Homobonus

Saint Homobonus (Italian: Sant'Omobono, German: Sankt Gutman) is the patron saint of business people.
He was canonized in 1199 his feast day is celebrated on November 13.

He was a merchant from Cremona, northern Italy. Born Omobono Tucenghi, he was a married layman who believed that God had allowed him to work in order that he would be able to support people that were living in a state of poverty. His name is derived from the Latin homo bonus ("good man").

He practiced his business at Cremona with scrupulous honesty. He also donated a large proportion of his profits to the relief of the poor. ( generous)

Homobonus was a frequent church attendee that would partake in the Eucharist everyday. Pope Innocent III called him "father of the poor", "consoler of the afflicted", "assiduous in constant prayer", "man of peace and peacemaker", "a man good in name and deed", "this saint, is still like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in our time.



5. The Gift giver St Nicholas


Saint Nicholas (called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra (Demre, part of modern-day Turkey) in Lycia


 He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His feast day is the 6th of December.

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of, merchants, pawnbrokers  in various cities and countries around Europe.



6. Secundus of Asti ( (died 119) is venerated as a martyr and saint. His feast day is generally celebrated on March 29.

He was a historical figure who was beheaded at Asti under Hadrian. He is said to have been a patrician of Asti and a subaltern officer in the imperial army. It is known that a church was dedicated to him in the area as early as the 9th century


He is patron among other roles of merchants

Saturday, 1 October 2016

I'm thinking of you - honestly ...Developing the sales relationship

Let alone with the competition of email, Facebook birthday wishes on friends’ time line or the hash tag special day campaigns on twitter or a social media service ( algorithm) tenderly telling we that they care about me ! ( yuk) , the Greeting Card Industry  constantly works at raising awareness of their offering by reminding us of their offering during the fallow periods between traditional Christian seasons of   Christmas, Easter , St Valentine’s.

They  invented 'Mothers’ day' ( as opposed to Mothering Sunday) , Fathers’ day etc.

One campaign I had not noticed before is “Thinking of you week” I saw in the window of my local branch of Clinton Cards.

Research form the Buyers’ views of Buyers survey reveals that Buyers do not like salespeople who don’t walk their talk about relationship- ie who only show up ‘when there is an immediate smell of blood.”!!!

Successful salespeople who do walk their talk in developing relationship building know of the importance keeping in touch with clients even when there is no immediate benefit to them.

Here are three simple ways to employ the “..saw this, thought of you” technique  for example :-






  1.   E mail with attachments of articles of interest to your buyer
  2. E mail with a link to site of interest or post on a relevant topic to your buyer
  3.  How about a snail mail letter or Card with a news clipping of an article of interest ? The time and trouble you took makes a good impression

Perhaps the slogan of Clintons Card for successful salespeople should be extended to                                                         “ Thinking of you” (all the  year) “


Monday, 6 June 2016

Brexit or Remain ? Mind your own business !

Back in the day, sales professionals were advised to avoid conversations with clients around topics like religion, politics and such like. Such subjects were likely to expose extremely held views and create a conversational climate unlikely to promote a helpful atmosphere of carrying out trade.


Across the beautiful River Itchen
( or perhaps might have well been

 the English  Channel
 in this house owner's view)
 in Winchester, Hampshire yesterday
The long campaign for the EU referendum has led to many angry arguments in the social environment  ( if dinner parties I have attended of late are to go by) let alone in the business arena.

I have met a number of folk of late who work for large multi-national organisations. They have taken out time to 'guide' their employees ( for the good of the firm) which way they should vote. Such guidance is not much appreciated by Brits and could lead to a bolshie  reaction .

Whichever way the country votes , one thing is for sure - if salespeople have not taken any proactive action already,  they will need to do so - one way or the other . 

For after June 23rd there can be no further treading water !

This is because the referendum is not just about us as individuals- but it's our customers and their customers, it is about our direct and indirect competition, it is about what to do in financial conditions in the short , medium and long term.


Contrary to the implications of spokespeople for both Brexiters and Remainers  or the bickering of blue-on-blue action-  no sales happen automatically in business. 

Nothing in business really happens before a sale is made. Buyers will still need to be persuaded. Negotiations will need active participants. Nothing in business sells itself-No product or service. Nor is selling and buying purely a rational logical undertaking.


Some may think There is not much emotion in business but there is a lot of business in emotion - that is why both sides have exploited ( perhaps over exploited) FUD - Fear , Uncertainty and Doubt in their campaign communications)

Salespeople need to concentrate on three action areas.

These are
  1. Protection
  2. Expansion 
  3. Development
1. You  need to protect your existing customer base. You will need to determine what effect in or out will have on their business, their customers, their competition

2. You will have to see where growth within your existing customer base will need to be achieved.

3. What NEW customers will need to be developed. Will new distributor lines be needed? Will the supply chain need to be altered ?

Directly after June 23rd , few other actions will be relevant.  




Related Links







Sunday, 15 May 2016

Selling through Channel Partners , Distributors etc



I was working with some super Grads from Renold  last week in Hannover.  We were studying the challenges of selling to  ( En d Users and OEMs) and selling through distributors.

They ispired me to write a short post on Delegated Selling: 


Motivating your Channel Partners and their Staff. Here are some thoughts-



At the Mercure Hannover City Centre.
we took advantage of their pin board system
for a 'brainstorm' on the differences of selling to and selling through

You do not have any direct authority over your channel partners and their staff, unlike selling direct through your own sales force.  

The only way you can get them to sell more of your product is by motivating them.  This is one of the main differences between direct and channel partner sales, and one of the most challenging aspects of the job. 

You are, in effect, a 'sales manager without portfolio.'

 You are asked to manage a group of people (Channel Partner Principals) who by their very nature have decided that they do not want to work for anyone else.  In addition you have to influence their sales force and support staff, who do not report direct to you, and who may even resent your presence in their customers.

Remember that your end user is also your channel partner’s end user. 

Maslow described a Hierarchy of Needs which helps us to analyse people’s motivators. 

What are our most basic needs?  Food, drink, warmth, clothing:  These are all PHYSICAL/Physiological  needs, the most basic of all motivators, which, if you do not have them assume the greatest priority. 

 It is important to stress that as conditions change so do our priorities and consequently our prime motivators.
 
Your role as a a Channel Partner manager
is in the shadows not in direct control
What is our next priority need once we have satisfied our basic physical needs?  It is to find SAFETY AND SECURITY for ourselves and our families. 

 After we have done this our next priority need is likely to be part of the community, i.e. SOCIAL AND BELONGING (Companionship) 

Humans are not solitary animals, and they need others of the same species to relate to.  However, we do not treat everyone as an equal because we are looking for RECOGNITION and STATUS as a leader.  So this is the next step on our ladder of priority needs. 

The ultimate motivator on our ladder is the feeling we achieve to satisfy an inner demand in ourselves - a feeling of ACHIEVEMENT AND FULFILMENT.  This is the highest level of motivation in the human species.  This is the motivator which drives people to sail single-handed around the world or to climb the highest mountains.  

The difference between RECOGNITION/STATUS and ACHIEVEMENT/FULFILMENT is that the former is what we look for from other people, while the latter we feel within ourselves. 

Of course we can satisfy these needs in a variety of different ways, not necessarily through business.  In fact they can be satisfied through our DOMESTIC LIFE, SOCIAL LIFE, and BUSINESS LIFE, and sometimes these can be in conflict. 

 We know that we are looking at motivating our Channel Partners in the business scenario but need to remember that within their social and domestic lives they may have different priorities.  

Friday, 6 May 2016

Successful Proposals using your DVP

The focus of this post is EFFECTIVE SELLING PROPOSALS

If you sell a complex product or one that involves the delivery of professional services, writing effective selling proposals can be critical to your success.

Some proposals are written in response to an RFP (Request for Proposal) or RFI (Request for Information).

Client organisations that have gone to the bother of writing RFP's want to receive highly structured proposals, which make it easier for them to compare responses from various bidders.


A fifth of the Buyers Views of Salespeople Survey said they use a Request for Proposal (RFP) protocol to which they invite suppliers to work to in accordance with the stipulations of their process.


For the remaining 80% a formal proposal is often required.


Regrettably some proposals are churned in what appears to be a "Generic Grenades" factory. Standard word processed tempates with only cursory modication are lobbed indiscriminately across to the client in the vain hope of success.

"Never mind the quality - feel the width"

These generic grenades also tend to be long, boring, and tedious to read. Often they are produced under the incorrect assumption that quantity of pages outweighs quality of content is what makes a proposal effective.


Question: Is it worth wrting a proposal in the first place?

The single biggest mistake in proposal generation is the lack of proper opportunity qualification.

Suppliers waste incredible amounts of time and resources preparing proposals for poorly qualified opportunities in a knee jerk response to unqualified buyer's requests. These resulting proposals have little chance of achieving sales.

Once you have qualifed the opportunity and made a conscious decision that the opportunity warrants the investment of time and resources required to generate a quality proposal, you are ready to write an effective selling proposal.

Proposals today should be be lean, focused, client-specifics and written to sell to anyone that reads them.

How does a written proposal accomplish this?


Through words that motivate and provide compelling reasons that support a buying decision.

This is where selecting the key points from your DVP is so important.

Formal Proposals : A proposal sets out your offer in terms of its recommendations and costs. It shows how your recommendations meet your client's objectives, and gives details of costs and savings.
It is best presented to your client in person, or the buying group, and continues to sell after you have left.

When is a formal proposal most appropriate?


- When your recommendation is based on information from a variety of sources; it serves as a summary of that information.
- Following an extensive survey of clients's needs.
- When your recommendation is a large complex solution. In this case it will help your client understand all the details and implications, and provide a document which justifies the cost.
- When you cannot meet the final decision maker, for example, a board of directors; it can continue to sell in your absence.
- When you are selling to a buying group, or whenever more than one person is involved in the decision making process.
Never use a formal proposal as a prospecting tool. Such a proposal is bound to be a poor one, as well as being a waste of time and money.

The appearance of your proposal should reflect the time and care taken to prepare it.
- Make sure the proposal is logically organised and that the major points are easy to locate
- Make each page visually attractive:
- Do not put too much information on each page
- Have equal width margins of at least 1"
- Have all pages equal in size
- Use pictures and diagrams whenever possible
- Highlight important points
- Use a good quality word processing software/printer/photocopier
Esselte's Leitz Files brand has just launched a great new product in Germany where thier quality files can be customised to order. Just think of the effect of a personalised file enclosed with your proposal. What a great first impression! Click for Leitz Create product


- Proof read three times (if possible by different people) to make sure that the proposal is error free
- Put your proposal in a cover which is attractive, personalized, and allows for easy turning of the pages.


Click for free executive summary of the Buyers Views of salespeople research study

Tuesday, 26 April 2016

The Salesforce Awakens - How to leverage your original offering by marketing masters - Lucasfilms and Disney

The Salesforce Awakens- 
 How to leverage your original offering
 by  marketing masters
 - Lucasfilms and Disney

Sainsbury promoting Blu Ray and DVDs of the latest Star Wars
 epic only 5 months after the main cinema release
A long time ago in a galaxy  far , far away........

Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and the First Order. When a defector named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey , a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo  to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker , the last of the Jedi Knights.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens , broke yet another box office record It is officially - after just 22 days - the biggest-selling film in UK history, taking over £100 million at the box office. 

Well sold all those who make this franchise work.


The film broke records left , right and centre since it's release . Some of them include :-

  • the biggest ever opening weekend, 
  • the fastest movie to reach $1 billion worldwide 
  • and the biggest single day at the box office.

The film has already amassed over $1.59 billion worldwide and there's little sign of it slowing down.






The next marketing challenge after the successful play in the cinemas is the release of the DVD and Blu Ray product . 

It will now exploit opportunities for New product Development, New Market ( home) development and Diversifying though Acquisition , Mergers and Joint Ventures.


















There have been a few indignant franchise fans tweeting their disappointment of the DVD release of The Force Awakens because the DVD does not have some of the Blu Ray content.

Despite the film taking over £100 million at the box office, some fans of the franchise feel the DVD release is seriously lacking, compared to the US offering.


On Social media one purchaser tweeted: "Not happy - no extras on the Force Awakens DVD. Not all of us have Blu-Ray! Rip-off!"
While another told distributor Amazon, the DVD release was a 'misrepresentation' of the listing.
Their posting read "Very disappointed that the DVD version does not have the deleted scenes, this isn't clear at all it isn't that same with two different format options. Shame on you Amazon for this misrepresentation"

What is key is that they need to maximise sales
 .
The Film franchise Star Wars is masters of this.


“The Force awakens” movie is not just released in a home viewing product such as  DVD or Blu Ray etc but there is a plethora of add-ons and accessories. 

The cardboard engineers have excelled themselves in Point of Sale displays and merchandising support.










Agreements with the likes of Hasbro, Lego and Xbox etc  have rendered a veritable zoo of toy talking plush characters such as BB8, Chewbacca Yoda and Storm Troopers all with voices from the film , Hot wheels vehicle models ,Lego 6-12 kits , sticker books, video prequels, branded merchandise mugs T shirts and such like .

One particular add-on which caught my eye was a ‘novelisation’. 

Movies are often inspired by or based on a book but I was wondering how long books have been written based on films.

 It is longer ago than you might think and much older than the Star Wars phenomenon.
Novelizations began to be produced back in the 1920s for silent films such as ‘London After Midnight’ (1927). One of the first talkies to be novelized was ‘King Kong’ (1933).

Film novelizations were especially profitable during the 1970s before home video became available as they were then the only way to re-experience popular movies.

The novelizations of Star Wars (1977) and Alien (1979) have sold millions of copies.

Less maybe more but not in novelization.


The writer of a novelization multiplies the 20,000-25,000 words of the film screenplay into at least 60,000 words. 

Writers usually achieve that by adding description or introspection. Ambitious writers are moreover driven to work on transitions and characters just to accomplish "a more prose-worthy format".

There are times when the "novelizer" may decide to create completely new scenes in order to give the plot a richer dimension, provided (s)he is allowed to do that. 

It might take an insider or an avid fan to identify whether a novelization diverges unintentionally from the finally released film because it is based on an earlier version which possibly included some deleted scenes.


Novelization writers are often also accomplished original fiction writers, as well as fans of the works they adapt. 

Making a lot of lolly  ( even lollies)  from the spin offs
You will even find how negotiation is undertaken by the loathsome merchant Unkar Plutt and heroine Rey to reach a counter deal agreement  of 100 portions for her day's salvage (pages 40-44) even if her word is not her bond so far as BB8 is concerned !

Novelizer Alan Dean Foster,  says that, as a fan, "I got to make my own director’s cut. I got to fix the science mistakes, I got to enlarge on the characters, if there was a scene I particularly liked, I got to do more of it, and I had an unlimited budget. So it was fun"


May the awakened Sales force be with you folks !




Monday, 25 April 2016

Selling's debt #Shakespeare400


21st century Sales Quoting Shakespeare
on the bard’s  400th anniversary 23rd April

(with apologies to Bernard Levin et al)



If you cannot understand the jargon in that request for proposal (RFP) and you sigh, ‘It’s all Greek to me” ⁱ you are quoting Shakespeare.

 If you claim to be “more sinned against than sinning” ⁱⁱ to your sales manager, you are quoting Shakespeare;

 if you recall “your salad days”  ⁱⁱⁱ way back-in-the-day, you are quoting Shakespeare; 

if you ever raise a complaint “more in sorrow than in anger” ⁴, if your wish is “father to the thought” ⁵ in a brainstorming session, if your smart phone has vanished into thin air , you are quoting Shakespeare;

The New Day on Friday
 if you have ever refused to “budge an inch”  ⁶ in a negotiation or suffered from “green-eyed jealousy”⁷ of a competitor’s offering, if you feel a buyer has played fast and loose, if you have ever been “tongue-tied” ⁸ at a presentation, your support team to have been a “tower of strength”⁹  , “hoodwinked” ⁱ⁰ by an influencer with no real buying authority or “in a pickle” ⁱ₁a when you have messed up ; 

if you have knitted your brows ⁱ ₁b  , made a virtue of necessity  ⁱ₂  , insisted on “fair play”  ⁱ₃, “slept not one wink”  ⁱ⁴, have not “stood on ceremony “ ⁱ⁵, danced attendance  ⁱ⁶  on your lord and master ⁱ⁷ at the company annual sales conference , laughed yourself into stitches ⁱ⁸ at the Buyer’s jokes , had short shrift ⁱ⁹ at a sales beauty parade, cold comfort  ⁱⁱ⁰  or too much of a good thingⁱⁱ ₁ at the Christmas party, if your business clothes have seen better days ⁱⁱ₂  or lived in a fool’s paradise ⁱⁱ₃—why, be that as it may, the more fool you ⁱⁱ⁴, for it is a foregone conclusion  ⁱⁱ⁵  that you are (as good luck would have it) ⁱⁱ⁶  quoting Shakespeare;

 if you clear out, bag and baggage,  ⁱⁱ⁷  and all that surplus out of date literature and samples from your garage, if you think it is high time  ⁱⁱ⁸  and that is the long and short of it ⁱⁱ⁹   , if you believe the game is up  ₃⁰  and it’s time to try for a close and that the truth will out ₃ ⁱ, even if it involves your own flesh and blood ₃ⁱⁱ, if you lie low ₃ⁱⁱⁱ  until the crack of doom ₃⁴   because you suspect foul play ₃⁵ , if you have your teeth set on edge ₃⁵ (at one fell swoop ₃⁶  ) without rhyme or reason  ₃⁷  , then—to give the devil his due   ₃⁸  —if the truth were known  ₃⁹    and need to speak out for you have a tongue in your head  ⁴⁰  you are quoting Shakespeare; 

even if you bid me good riddance ⁴ⁱ  and send me packing ⁴₂   , if you wish I was dead as a doornail  ⁴₃   , if you think I am an eye-sore ⁴⁴, a laughing stock ⁴⁵  , the devil[s] incarnate ⁴⁶   , a stony-hearted villain ⁴⁷  , bloody-minded ⁴⁸  or a blinking idiot ⁴⁹  , then—by Jove! it’s all one to me ⁵⁰, you are quoting Shakespeare.

ⁱJulius Caesar Act 1 scene2 ; ⁱⁱKing Lear Act 3 ; ⁱⁱⁱAnthony and Cleopatra Act 1 Scene 5; ⁴Hamlet Act 1 scene 2
; ⁵Henry IV part 2 scene 5; ⁶Taming of the Shrew; ⁷  Othello Act 3 Scene 3; ⁸ Sonnet 85; ⁹ Richard III
ⁱ⁰ Romeo & Juliet Act 1 Scene 4; ⁱ₁ a Tempest;  ⁱ ₁b   Henry VI ;   ⁱ₂ Two Gentlemen of Verona; ⁱ₃Tempest ; ⁱ⁴Cymbeline; ⁱ⁵Julius Caesar;ⁱ⁶Henry VI part2 ; ⁱ⁷ Twelfth Night; ⁱ⁸Twelfth Night; ⁱ⁹ Richard III; ⁱⁱ⁰ Taming of the Shrew ;
ⁱⁱ₁ As you like it; ⁱⁱ₂As you like it ; ⁱⁱ₃  Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 4; ⁱⁱ⁴ The taming of the Shrew; ⁱⁱ⁵  Othello ; ⁱⁱ⁶Merry Wives of Windsor Act3 Scene 5; ⁱⁱ⁷ As you like it  ; ⁱⁱ⁸ Comedy of Errors  ; ⁱⁱ⁹Merry Wives of Windsor ; ₃⁰Cymbeline ;  ₃ ⁱ Merchant of Venice ; ₃ⁱⁱ  Merchant of Venice; ₃ⁱⁱⁱ Much do about nothing ; ₃⁴Macbeth ; ₃⁵Hamlet ; ₃⁵  Henry IV Part1  ; ₃⁶Macbeth ;  ₃⁷ As you like it ;  ₃⁸Henry IV part1; ₃⁹Winter’s Tale;  ⁴⁰Tempest ; ⁴ⁱ Troilus and Cressida ;  ⁴₂Henry VI part 2;  
⁴₃Henry VI part 2; ⁴⁴Taming of the Shrew; ⁴⁵Merry Wives of Windsor;  ⁴⁶ Henry V; ⁴⁷Henry IV part1;  ⁴⁸Henry VI part 3 ;
⁴⁹Merchant of Venice; ⁵⁰Troilus Act 1 Scene 1

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