Prairie Pulse 807 Peter Skakum; CEO of Tangent Strategies & James O'Rourke's regional impact

--> HELLO AND WELCOME TO PRAIRIE
PULSE.
COMING UP LATER WE WILL LOOK HOW
JAMES OH ROWRK HAS INFLUENCED
ARTIST AROUND THE WORLD.
WITH US IS PETER SKAKUM WITH
TRAININGENT STRATEGIES OUT OF
WINNIPEG.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR SEFERL AND
YOUYOUR -- TELL US ABOUT YOURSEF
AND YOUR BACKGROUND.
--> MY BACK GROUND IS MARKETING
AND SELLING IS A BIG PART, BIG
COMPONENT OF MARKETING.
TANGENT STRATEGIES IS A STRATEGY
COMPANY AND OUR WORK IS TO WORK
WITH COMPANIES THAT MAY BE
LOSING MARKET SHARE, MAYBE NOT
GROWING AS QUICKLY AS THEY MIGHT
OR THERE MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL
COMPETITION THAT MOVES INTO TOWN
OR INTO THEIR REGION, INTO THEIR
MARKET, AND IT BEGINS TO AFFECT
THEIR COMPANY IN A NEGATIVE WAY
AND OUR JOB USUALLY AFTER THEY
HAVE TRIED A VARIETY OF THINGS
TO CORRECT THE SITUATIONS, OUR
JOB IS USUALLY ONE TO COME IN TO
ANALYZE WHAT THEY ARE GOING
THROUGH AND DETERMINE WHAT THE
PROBLEM IS, WHAT IS CAUSING
THEIR PROBLEM.
AND THEN OUR JOB BEYOND THE
ANALYSIS IS TO DEVELOP A
MARKETING STRATEGY AND TOOLS
WITHIN THE STRATEGY TO
ULTIMATELY TURN THEIR SITUATION
AROUND.
AND, SO, ULTIMATELY WE ARE ABLE
TO DO THAT ON BEHALF OF OUR
CLIENTS AND WE DO THAT
THROUGHOUT MANITOBA AND
DIFFERENT PARTS OF CANADA.
--> WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO FOUND
TANGENT STRATEGIES?
--> TANGENT STRATEGIES IS
ACTUALLY A REBRANDED VERSION OF
A COMPANY THAT I HELD FOR ABOUT
18 YEARS PRIOR CALLED HAWTHORNE
COMMUNICATIONS, TANGENT
STRATEGIES IS BORN OUT OF THE
FACT WE RECOGNIZED THAT
COMPANIES NEEDED MORE THAN THE
HARD GOODS, THE ADVERTISING, THE
BROCHURES, PRINT COMMUNICATIONS
AND SO FORTH.
WHAT THEY NEEDED WAS TO HAVE
THAT ALL BACKED UP BY A STRATEGY
AND WE RECOGNIZED THAT IN ORDER
TO MAKE THOSE TOOLS, THOSE
MARKETING TOOLS WORK, THEY HAD
TO HAVE A STRATEGY BEHIND THEM,
AND, SO, WE DEVELOPED TANGENT
STRATEGIES TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON
THE CREATION OF A MARKETING PLAN
PRIOR TO DOING ANYTHING ELSE,
IT'S MUCH THE SAME WAY WHEN
STARTING A BUSINESS AND IT'S
RECOMMENDED YOU HAVE A BUSINESS
PLAN BEFORE YOU EXECUTE YOUR
MARKETING IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO
HAVE A MARKETING PLAN, WE
DEVELOPED HAWTHORNE INTO TANGENT
STRATEGIES AND BEGAN MARKETING
STRATEGIES.
--> IN YOUR BLOG YOU ADVOCATE THE
REBRANDING OF THE SALES
PROFESSIONAL IN NORTH AMERICA
AND YOU SAID IT'S REMAINED
VIRTUALLY THE SAME SINCE WORLD
WAR II.
--> YES.
--> WHY THAT?
--> WELL, SELLING THE TECHNIQUES
THAT SALES PEOPLE USE TODAY
THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA BY AND
LARGE ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT
THEY USED BACK IN THE POST WAR
1940'S.
AND IT HASN'T CHANGED AN AWFUL
LOT, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT
IS THAT SALES PEOPLE ARE HAVING
A DIFFICULT TIME, A MORE
DIFFICULT TIME IN REACHING THEIR
TARGET AUDIENCES, MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT IN MAKING THAT FIRST
INTRODUCTION, AND IT'S PRIMARILY
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS
THIS LONG-HELD STEREOTYPE THAT
SALES PEOPLE ARE VERY
SELF-SERVING IT'S ABOUT THEM,
ABOUT MAKING THE SALE AND DOING
WHATEVER THEY FEEL IS NECESSARY,
SAYING AND DOING WHATEVER THEY
FEEL IS NECESSARY TO CLOSE THE
SALE.
CONSEQUENTLY THAT TENDS TO MAKE
PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
DESK, THE PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS
VERY ON EDGE.
SO THERE IS THAT STEREOTYPICAL
IMAGE OF THE SALESMAN IN THE MAD
SUIT SELLING USED CARS AND THAT
HAS BEEN MAINTAINED OVER THE
DECADES.
--> ARE YOU TALKING THAT THE
PREVAILING BRAND?
--> THAT IS THE PREVAILING BRAND,
ABSOLUTELY.
SALES PEOPLE ARE VERY DIFFERENT
IN A LOT OF WAYS FROM THAT
PREVAILING BRAND AND THERE ARE A
LOT OF LAWS THAT HAVE CHANGED
FOR THE COMPANIES, THE MARKET
HASN'T SEEN A MARKED DIFFERENCE
AND WE HAVE NOTICED THERE ARE
SALES PEOPLE MAKING COLD CALLS,
WHEN I SAY COLD CALLS, WALKING
INTO PEOPLE'S OFFICES,
UNINVITED, UNANNOUNCED AND
EXPECTING EVERY ONE TO DROP WHAT
THEY ARE DOING TO LISTEN TO
THEIR SALES PITCH.
WELL, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT
WAS DONE IN THE 1940'S AND IN
THE 50s AND 60s AND SO ON
AND EVERY TIME A SALES PERSON
DOES THAT THEY PERPETUATE THE
OLD SALES TYPE.
SO, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS SELLING
HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO
BE VERY ADVERSARIAL.
SALES PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS HAS
EVOLVED, THE BUYER IS MUCH MORE
HIGHLY EDUCATED, MUCH MORE
SOPHISTICATED, VERY MARKET
SAVVY, IN FACT HAS SEEN AND
HEARD ALL OF THE SALES TACTICS,
IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT THAT WAY,
AND, FRANKLY, WHEN THEY ARE
ASSAULTED BY A COLD CALL OR
THINGS LIKE THAT, IT IS AN
INSULT TO THEIR INTELLIGENCE.
SO THE MARKET HAS EVOLVED AND
SELLING, UNFORTUNATELY HAS NOT,
IT'S CREATED THIS RIFF, HUGE
DIVIDE BETWEEN PIER AND SELLER.
--> THAT BRAND HINDERS WHO AND
HOW.
--> THAT'S RIGHT, IT HINDERS
EVERY ONE, HINDERS YOU AND ME
AND OUR ECONOMY BECAUSE THE
SCENARIO IS ONE WHERE A LOT OF
TIME IS WASTED IN THE USUAL BACK
AND FORTH BETWEEN BUYER AND
SELLER.
BOTH PARTIES ARE PART OF THE
DANCE, BOTH ARE TRYING TO GET AS
MUCH FROM EACH OTHER AS THEY
POSSIBLY CAN AT THE EXPENSE OF
THE OTHER, SO A HUGE AMOUNT OF
TIME IS WASTED AND IN A
SITUATION WHERE OUR ECONOMY IS
ALREADY WEAKENED, SELLING IN
THAT OLD TRADITIONAL MODEL IS
NOT HELPING OUR ECONOMY GET BACK
TO THE ROBUST HEALTHY ONCE HAD,
SO, IN EFFECT THE OLD MODEL OF
SELLING IS HAMPERING US ALL.
--> OKAY.
WELL, ACADEMICALLY YOUR
BACKGROUND IS MARKETING, YOUR
EXPERIENCE IS SORT OF IN SELLING
AND MARKETING, HOW DO YOU
RATIONAL THE TWO DISCIPLINES IN
THE CONTEXT OF REBRANDING?
--> WELL, I THINK THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING FOR NORTH
AMERICAN COMPANIES TO RECOGNIZE
IS THAT MARKETING AND SELLING,
FIRST OF ALL, ARE REALLY NOT TWO
SEPARATE DISCIPLINES, SELLING IS
VERY MUCH A COMPONENT OF
MARKETING, AND, YOU KNOW, I FIND
MYSELF MANY TIMES FALLING INTO
THE TRAP OF SAYING THIS PHRASE:
MARKETING AND SALES.
AND YOU SEE IT EVERYWHERE,
MARKETING AND SALES.
THERE IS REALLY NO SUCH THING AS
MARKETING AND SALES, SALES IS A
COMPONENT OF MARKETING.
IT WOULD BE LIKE I AM SAYING I'M
DRIVING A CAR AND A STEERING
WHEEL.
OR I'M EATING A CHOCOLATE CAKE
AND FLOUR.
THOSE ARE COMPONENTS, STEERING
WHEEL AND FLOUR, THEY ARE
UNDERSTAND TO BE A PART OF THE
WHOLE, SO WE SAY I'M DRIVING A
CAR OR EATING THE CAKE, NOT TALK
ABOUT THE COMPONENTS.
THAT HARKENS BACK TO NOT
UNDERSTANDING SELLING AND IN
SOME CASES WHAT MARKETING IS, WE
SAY MARKETING AND SALES.
THE CONCERN IS THAT MARKETING
CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT SELLING.
AS MUCH AS A CAKE CAN'T BE BAKED
WITHOUT FLOUR OR A CAR WITHOUT A
STEERING WHEEL.
BUT IN THE SAME BREATH I WOULD
ALSO SAY THAT SELLING CANNOT
EXIST WITHOUT THE OTHER
COMPONENTS OF MARKETING,
ADVERTISING, SOCIAL MEDIA, THE
THINGS THAT CONSTITUTE MARKETED
BEING, IN MOST CASES AND SHOULD
BE USED AS COMPONENTS FOR THE
PERSON OUT IN THE FIELD.
WHEN THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AND THE
PERSON IS JUST OUT THERE WITH A
QUOTA AND TIME LINE AND THE BOSS
SAYS YOU HAVE TO MEET QUOTA AND
YOU HAVE TO DO IT IN X TIME, THE
IMPLIED MESSAGE IS IF YOU DON'T,
YOU ARE PROBABLY OUT OF A JOB.
SO, WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT
SITUATION IS SALES PEOPLE GO OUT
AND THEY ARE ALMOST PUT IN A
SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE TO DO
WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO TO GET THE
SALE TO MEET QUOTA TO KEEP THEIR
JOBS AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THERE
ISN'T EVEN AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN
EMPLOYER AND SALES PERSON, SO,
THE REBRANDING ALMOST HAS TO
BEGIN AT THE EMPLOYER/SALES
PERSON LEVEL AND IF IT DOESN'T,
THE SALES PERSON IS OUT
PERPETUATING THE OLD STEREOTYPES
AND JUST MAKING THINGS TOUGHER
ON HIMSELF AND THE MARKET AS A
WHOLE.
--> IN YOUR BLOG YOU WRITE ABOUT
THE POWERFUL ALLIANCES, IS THAT
THE ASPECT THAT HAS TO BE THERE
TO CONNECT THE REBRANDING OF THE
SALES PROF ?UN.
PROF.
SALES PROFESSION?
--> WHERE WE ARE, BUYERS DISLIKE
BEING SOLD TO TODAY.
I WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THEY
HATE BEING SOLD TO, IT'S AN
INSULT TO THEIR INTELLIGENCE,
THEY BACK AWAY FROM SALES
PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO TOUGH FOR A
SALES PERSON MAKING INROADS IN
DEVELOPS A NEW RELATIONSHIP.
WHERE SELLING NEEDS TO CHANGE,
WHERE IT NEEDS TO REBRAND IS TO
BECOME AN ALLIANCE, NOT
ADVERSARIAL, BUT SALES PEOPLE
NEED TO BE SEEN BY THE
MARKETPLACE AS AS ALLIES, PEOPLE
WHO WILL WORK WITH THE POTENTIAL
BUYER.
WHEN THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT'S
WHERE SO MUCH OF THE TIME IS
LOST.
THE POWER IN POWERFUL ALLIANCES
IS THE POWER OBTAINED BY THE
SALES PERSON AND THE COMPANY
THAT EMPLOYS THE SALES PERSON,
THE POWER TO OUT SELL THEIR
COMPETITORS BECAUSE THEY ARE
APPEARING AND WORKING WITH
PROSPECTIVE BUYERS AS ALLIES.
IN FACT A BUSINESS OWNER SAID TO
ME ONE TIME AND I THOUGHT IT WAS
PIVOTAL, SHE SAID: PETER, WHAT
I NEED IS I NEED A COLLABORATOR,
I NEED SOMEONE I CAN TRUST, I
NEED AN ALLY, I DON'T NEED
ANOTHER SALESMAN.
AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S
EXACTLY WHAT THE ENTIRE
MARKETPLACE IS SAYING IS WE
DON'T NEED ANOTHER SALESMAN, WE
NEED ALLIES, PEOPLE THAT ARE
GOING TO WORK WITH US, AND IF WE
ARE GOING TO BRING THIS ECONOMY
BACK THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO GO.
PERHAPS THIS IS THE BEST TIME OF
ALL TO REBRAND THE SALES
PROFESSION.
--> WAS THERE A CATALYST THAT
MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME AN
ADVOCATE FOR REBRANDING THE
SALES PROFESSION?
--> YES, THERE WAS A CATALYST,
I'VE BEEN SELLING ALMOST ALL MY
LIFE, I BEGAN SELLING
SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR LOCAL
NEWSPAPER BACK WHEN I WAS 11 OR
12 YEARS OLD AND I'VE BEEN
SELLING EVER SINCE, AND
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS FROM TIME
TO TIME ALL SALES PEOPLE TAKE
COURSES TO BRUSH UP ON THEIR
SKILLS, AND I THINK IT WAS
PERHAPS ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO I
DECIDED TO ENROLL IN A SALES
COURSE, NATIONAL SALES COURSE TO
DO THAT FOR MYSELF, BRUSH UP ON
MY SKILLS.
AND I REMEMBER AS IF IT WERE
YESTERDAY THE INSTRUCTOR SAYING
TO THE CLASS, THE FIRST WORDS
OUT OF HIS MOUTH WAS: CUSTOMERS
LIE TO SALES PEOPLE.
CUSTOMERS LIE TO SALES PEOPLE.
AND THERE WAS THIS COLLECTIVE
NODDING OF HEADS.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE ALL
RECOGNIZED WE WERE DOING IT BUT
EVERY ONE WAS SAYING YES, THERE
WAS THIS REVELATION THAT WAS
SORT OF UNSPOKEN, WE PERHAPS
DIDN'T ADMIT IT TO OURSELVES,
CUSTOMER LIE TO SALES PEOPLE
BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS LEVEL OF
DISRESPECT BASED ON THE OLD
STEREOTYPE OF USED CAR SALES MEN
AND I THOUGHT IT TOOK A COUPLE
OF YEARS TO HAVE THAT LINE,
THOSE WORDS RESONATE.
AND AT ONE POINT I ASKED MYSELF,
OKAY, I AGREE WITH THAT, IT'S
TRUE, THE SALES PROFESSION HAS
PERPETUATED THAT, WHY IS IT THEN
THAT CUSTOMERS LIE OR
PROSPECTIVE CLIENT ARE LYING TO
SALES PEOPLE.
AND I WOULD SAY THE ANSWERS IT
GOT TO THAT QUESTION BECAME A
CATALYST FOR BECOMING AN
ADVOCATE FOR REBRANDING THE
SALES PERSON TO THE POSITIONS IT
CURRENTLY HOLDS TO A POSITION OF
ALLIANCE IN THE MARKETPLACE.
--> WHAT HAPPENS IF THE
PROFESSION DOESN'T REBRAND?
--> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WHAT IF THE PROFESSION DOESN'T
REBRAND?
I THINK THE BEST WAY I CAN
ANSWER THAT IS TO TALK ABOUT,
GIVE YOU TWO QUICK STORIES, ONE
IS A GENTLEMAN THAT I MET ON
TWITTER, RIGHT, SOCIAL MEDIA,
SOCIAL MARKETING.
HIS NAME IS DENNY COTAY WHO IS
DIRECTOR OF SALES IN CANADA, I
WAS TAKEN BY THE TWEAT HE HAD,
IT WAS A QUESTION, SHOULD YOU
USE SOCIAL MEDIA INSTEAD OF
HIRING A SALES PERSON?
AND I THOUGHT, WOW, USE SPOASAL
MEDIA IN-- SOCIAL MEDIA INSTEAD
OF HIRING A SALES PERSON.
I TWEATED HIM BACK AND WE TALKED
YESTERDAY, HE DID JUST THAT.
HE WAS READY TO HIRE A SECOND OR
THIRD SALES PERSON AND INSTEAD
HIRED A SOCIAL MEDIA PERSON, AND
HE WAS TELLING ME THAT THEY HAVE
SIMPLY DONE THAT, THEY HAVE
ACTUALLY BOOKED QUITE A FEW
ROOMS IN THE THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS JUST FROM TWITTER ALONE.
SO THAT IS STORY 1.
STORY NUMBER 2 IS THE CLIENT
THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE, HE'S A
YOUNGER FELLOW, ABOUT 25, 27,
ABOUT TO GET MARRIED, HE IS A
HOME RENOVATE OR AND HE HAD COME
TO TANGENT STRATEGIES TO HAVE
OUR COMPANY NAME HIS COMPANY, TO
FIND A NAME FOR HIS COMPANY AND
WE DID THAT.
AND THEN I ASKED HIM ABOUT A
WEBSITE AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE
HE DIDN'T HAVE ONE.
HE SAID, NO, HE SAID, PETER, I'M
NOT GOING TO HAVE A WEBSITE.
I SAID: OH?
HE SAID I DON'T BELIEVE IN
WEBSITES, I BELIEVE I CAN
PROMOTE MORE EFFECTIVELY BY
USING SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, THAT IS
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
TAKE WHAT DENNY SAID AND HERE WE
HAVE A FELLOW OF A GENERATION
THAT IS CONSIDERING NOT EVEN
HAVING A WEBSITE.
COULD IT BE THAT WEBSITES MAY
EVENTUALLY BECOME PASSE?
WE ARE IN A BUSINESS WORLD, IN A
WORLD THAT IS CONSTANTLY,
CONSTANTLY EVOLVING.
AND THOSE TWO STORIES SPEAK TO
AN EVOLUTION THAT IF IT TELLS
THE SALES PROFESSION IF WE, AND
I CONSIDER MYSELF A MEMBER OF
THE SALES PROFESSION, DO NOT
EVOLVE INTO THAT ALLIANCE
POSTURE, THOSE THAT DON'T WILL
FALL AWAY AND BECOME EXTINCT
LIKE MOST THINGS THAT DON'T
EVOLVE, EXTINCT SPECIES, THOSE
THAT DO WILL SURVIVE AND WILL
SURVIVE PROFITABLY.
--> SO, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE REBRANDING, THE INDIVIDUAL
THEMSELVES?
--> I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST
THE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE
THE MARKETS AWARE OF THE FACT
THEY NEED TO REBRAND, A WAKE UP
CALL, IF YOU WILL.
I THINK THE RESPONSIBILITY THEN
FALLS TO THE EMPLOYER BECAUSE I
HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF SALES
TRAINING SEMINARS WHERE WE HAVE
TALKED ABOUT NOT MAKING COLD
CALLS, NOT WALKING INTO OFFICES
COLD, AND THE SALES PEOPLE WOULD
LOOK AT ME AND SAY: PETER, DO
YOU KNOW WHAT MY BOSS DID TO ME
IF I STOPPED MAKING COLD CALLS?
THEY HAVE NO CHOICE.
SO, THE EMPLOYER NEEDS TO TAKE
THE LEAD ROLE AND THEN TRAIN THE
SALES PERSON TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THEY NO LONGER HAVE TO BE AN
ADVERSARY WHICH IS REALLY VERY
UNCOMFORTABLE EVEN FOR THE
THICKEST SKINNED SALES PERSON,
THEY NO LONGER HAVE TO BE AN
ADVERSARY, THEY CAN BE A FRIEND.
THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THAT
ACTUALLY CAME TO US BACK IN THE
1940'S, WE MAY ALL REMEMBER THE
TELEVISION OR THE MOVIE THAT WAS
CALLED “MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET,”
IT WAS A STORY OF AN ELDERLY
GENTLEMAN WHO BELIEVED HE WAS
AND LOOKED LIKE SANTA CLAUS AND
MACY'S HIRES HIM AS THEIR
SEASONAL SANTA CLAUS.
HE IS UPTAKING CHILDREN ON HIS
LAP AS ALL DEPARTMENT STORE
SANTA'S DO ASKING WHAT DO YOU
WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?
IN THIS SEEN HE TAKES A YOUNG
LAD AND LOOKS PAST THE BOY IN
THE BACKGROUND AND THE MOTHER IS
GOING NO, NO, NO, DON'T PROMISE,
BUT SANTA DOES WHAT HE NORMALLY
DOES AND PROMISES HIM IT WILL BE
THERE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING, THE
TOY.
WHEN THE MOTHER COMES TO COLLECT
THE CHILD SHE SAYS SANTA, WHAT
DID YOU DO?
I CAN'T AFFORD THE TOY, I HAVE A
DIFFICULT TIME FIND THE TOY.
HE TOLD HER THE TOY IS ACROSS
THE STREET AT OUR COMPETITOR'S
STORE AT A FRACTION OF THE COST,
YOU GO THERE AND ALL OF THE FEAR
AND TENSION MELTS AWAY, SHE
WISHES SANTA A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AT
MACY'S START DOING WHAT SANTA
DOES, THE STORE MANAGER WANT TO
FIRE SANTA, BUT SANTA BECOMES A
COLLABORATOR AND THE CLIENT IN
THE STORE COMI BACK STRONGER AND
MORE LOYAL AND THAT IS THE
IMPORTANCE OF BECOMING ALLY.
--> WE ARE ABOUT OUT OF TIME BUT
WHY IS SELLING SO HARD TO DO?
--> BECAUSE WE PUT PEOPLE IN SUCH
A DIFFICULT POSITION TO DO THE
JOB.
IF I WERE GOING TO WORK WITH
YOU, YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE ME AS
A FRIEND OR ALLY AND YOU WOULD
WANT A LEVEL OF TRUST.
IT'S DIFFICULT THE WAY SALES
PEOPLE APPROACH PROSPECTIVE
CLIENTS FOR THE TRUST.
RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO SALES
PEOPLE ARE PUT IN POT EXIST
UNHAVING TO DEMONSTRATE IN A
WAY, THEY HAVE SO MUCH TO
OVERCOME, THE IMAGE TO OVERCOME.
--> PETER, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF
TIME BUT IF PEOPLE WANT MORE
INFORMATION ON TANGENT
STRATEGIES, WHERE DO THEY GO?
--> WE HAVE A WEBSITE AT
TANGENTSTRATEGIES.COM.

--> FOR MANY YEARS JAMES
O'ROURKE HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL
ROLE IN MOORHEAD ARTISTS.
--> IT'S BEEN AGAIN TREMENDOUS
FOR MY CAREER AND IN TERMS OF
PUBLICITY, WHEN I'VE GOTTEN
CONTACTED FROM MANY STATE
PUBLICATIONS AND I'VE GOTTEN
MEDIA ATTENTION BECAUSE OF
EXHIBITS AT THE ROWRK.
--> THE FIRST THING WE WILL DO IS
SLAM THIS BALL DOWN IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE WHEEL AND THE
FIRST STEP WILL BE TO GET IT
CENTER, I WILL PUT A LITTLE
WATER ON HERE.
PRESS DOWN ON THE CLAY.
--> WHEN YOU ARE WITH JIM ALL
WORKS ARE FOR SALE, YOU MAY HAVE
A COUPLE PIECES THAT AREN'T FOR
SALE, BELONG TO ANOTHER
COLLECTOR, BUT LARGELY MY WORK
IS FOR SALE AND OFTEN TIMES
WITHIN, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE
OPENING WEEKEND HE MIGHT HAVE
SOLD HALF OF THE WORKS IN AN
EXHIBIT, SO WE CERTAINLY HAD,
YOU KNOW, GOOD LUCK.
--> WORKING WITH JIM IN THE
ROURKE ART MUSEUM HAS BEEN
WONDERFUL, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR
TENTH ANNUAL SHOW, I'VE WORKED
WITH JIM SOMETIMES AT THE
GALLERY, SOMETIMES AT THE
MUSEUM, BUT WHAT IT DOES IS ADD
A CERTAIN VALIDITY AND
CREDIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU DO AND
CERTAINLY PUSHES YOU.
I HAVE TO BE DEVELOPING A NEW
BODY OF WORK AND I CAN'T BE
SHOWING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND
OVER.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE REALLY
UNDERSTAND THE INCREDIBLE IMPACT
THAT JIM HAS HAD ON THE ART
SCENE IN THE ENTIRE REGION,
HAVING INITIALLY WORKED WITH THE
PLAINS ART MUSEUM AND THEN THE
ROURKE OVER THE PAST DECADE,
HE'S BEEN THE PERSON WHO HAS
JUMP STARTED AND GIVEN
OPPORTUNITY TO MANY ARTISTS WHO
NEEDED IT.
--> SOME OF THE ARTISTS I SUPPOSE
WE HAVE EXHIBITED OVER THE YEARS
IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT NOW.
OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU TRY TO
EXHIBIT THE FINEST ARTISTS THAT
LIVE IN THE FARGO-MOORHEAD AREA
PARTICULARLY AND THEN THE RED
RIVER VALLEY AND THEN WE MOVE
OUT TO WESTERN MINNESOTA AND
NORTH DAKOTA, SORT OF OUR
GENERAL AREA WHERE MOST OF OUR
MEMBERS COME FROM AND THE
ARTISTS THAT HAVE ONE PERSON
SHOWS HERE.
I PUT DOWN SOME OF THESE SHAPES
ON THESE PANELS, GLUE THEM DOWN
AND THEN USUALLY PAINT THEM A
SINGLE COLOR AND THEN I BEGIN
ADDING COLORS ONE LAYER AT A
TIME.
--> WHAT HE'S DONE, REALLY, IS HE
HAS DEVELOPED A FOLLOWING OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY COMMITTED
TO THAT MUSEUM, PEOPLE WHO
DONATE THEIR TIME, DONATE MONEY,
DONATE ENERGY, IT'S TREMENDOUSLY
IMPORTANT.
WHAT IS THAT EXPRESSION ABOUT
SELLING -- SOMEBODY SAID THIS
ABOUT SELLING BOOKS, YOU THROW
THEM AT THE WALL AND SEE WHAT
STICKS.
HE SORT OF THROWS THE ARTIST AT
THE WALL AND SEE WHO STICKS.
BRAD IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE
WHOSE WORK YOU CAN SELL.
--> ONCE YOU GET SOMEBODY WHOSE
WORK YOU CAN SELL YOU SHOW THEM
ONCE A YEAR INDEFINITELY.
IN BETWEEN THAT HE WILL TAKE A
CHANCE ON ARTISTS WHO HAS NO
REPUTATION AT ALL.
--> WE HAVE A STRONG COMMITMENT
OF ARTISTS OF OUR TIME AND
PLACE, DONE THIS SINCE WE OPEN.
I THINK MUSEUMS ARE DOING A
DISSERVICE TO ARTISTS IN THEIR
OWN COMMUNITY IF THEY DO NOT SIB
THROUGH WORK.
--> THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR
PRAIRIE PULSE THIS WEEK.
AND AS ALWAYS, THANKS