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You gotta get to “need” before you can get to “want”

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Everyone who has ever taken any sales training knows that even if your potential customers see the need for your product, they won’t write the check until they’re convinced they actually want it.

You may realize you need a new car, for instance, but it’s the salesman’s job to convince you that you want a fancier, pricier auto.

The act of legislating operates on much the same principle. Legislators first have to be convinced of the need for a particular bill or appropriation, but they still might be reluctant to vote for it.

Maybe it costs too much, or maybe the lobbyist on the other side is an old pal. Maybe there are some technical problems.

So they have to be convinced that they want the bill to pass. Costs could be lowered, some common ground could be found with the lobbyist pal. Details almost always are negotiable.

Gov. Bruce Rauner often has said he was primarily a salesman when he ran private-equity group GTCR. He most certainly knows about need and want.

Go read the whole thing before commenting, please.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:02 am

Comments

Great column. Read it over the weekend and, as a former sales manager myself, really appreciated you putting it in those terms.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:03 am
This is the government we deserve.
During the fall elections, and then afterword, Rauner proclaimed the need to let the income tax expire.
H Minority Leader Durkin proclaimed earlier this spring there would be no revenue increases.
This is the government the people have chosen.
Get on with the cuts.
Urging the members to not cave.
As Rauner says, short term pain equals long term gain.

Comment by Snopes Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:24 am
Snopes is dead on and I am sure he posted with snark but for years this has been the mantra it Illinois Republicans. So let’s have at it and see where it goes.

Comment by Annon3 Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:29 am
Rauner said during the campaign that he could make it work without new venue.

His actions in closing the FY15 shortfall tell a different story. That was virtually all new revenue.

He’s going to stand tough, cut $6 billion and operate the government under those conditions if he doesn’t get his way?

Rauner has never given me a reason to believe him on anything.

Comment by Wordslinger Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:37 am
“He’s going to stand tough, cut $6 billion and operate the government under those conditions if he doesn’t get his way?”

He’s firing all the (non-public safety) union employees as soon their contract expires. Y’all can think that it is impossible, but watch. (and, yes, that *is* a bad thing, but it will certainly ’shake things up’)

Comment by Chris Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:47 am
The picture on the article made me think of this. It’s a little thing, but does Rauner not understand that the little slit on his left lapel is a handy spot to place one’s lapel pin? I know there are bigger issues, but his lack of style just makes me cringe. LOL

Comment by Anon Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:48 am
There is a distinction between a legitimate sales person and a snake oil con-artist/flimflam man.

Comment by DuPage Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:50 am
If GTCR owed the company it’d be: So not interested in the 4 heat deal, eh? We have an f-in’ problem. *House burns down.

Comment by LizPhairTax Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:57 am
It all comes down to whether Rauner wants to make a name for himself nationally by shutting down the Illinois government, and seriously harming the state — while he moves on next cycle.

Even with severe and major cuts, he will not find the $6-8B he needs for the budget starting July 1 this year. Maybe $2-3B, and that’s with keeping half the local government distributive funds. Remember best case this year, RaunerTeam has identified $300M in saves.

Even if he also arbitrarily shorts the pension payment, to cause strikes and a court case, he’s still way short fiscally.

Any knowledgeable person, regardless of party affiliation, who reviews this budget arithmetic challenge, would conclude the same.

If one’s goal is an ideological attack on all government per se, then this might work for you.

Comment by walker Monday, May 4, 15 @ 11:00 am
As a former GOPAC trained @$$ and Verde trained salesman… Let me say, this gov ain’t much of a salesman.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, May 4, 15 @ 11:03 am
Let the layoffs and furloughs begin already. This guy reminds me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He wants unions to be banned from contributing but starts his own PAC to support his agenda and uses his position to extort people who disagree with him. Quid pro quo to say the least. His agendas are going to get tied up in court, that’s for sure.

Comment by Ljt73 Monday, May 4, 15 @ 11:04 am
Great article. I also read it this weekend.

Thanks again Rich for recognizing and supporting the fundamental values of unions.

Call it fuzzy-headed naïveté, but I try to be hopeful that Rauner will not cause chaos by pushing his anti-union positions beyond what is politically feasible. I hope that pragmatism will overcome ideology, and “non-starters” like right to work can be removed from any deal Rauner strikes with the GA for next year’s budget.

Rauner recently visited a union training site, wore a union pin on his jacket and signed the Obama library bill. I hope that this is a sign of a willingness to be more moderate.

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, May 4, 15 @ 11:09 am
Always be closing

Comment by Boone's is Back Monday, May 4, 15 @ 11:31 am
Grandson -
Thank you for today’s dose of optimism. You, me and Pollyana are the only hopeful ones that Lord Bruce will transcend into a moderate Governor.
Skippy

Comment by Skippy Monday, May 4, 15 @ 12:16 pm
Sales manager: Here’s $10,000 you can use to smooth the way for the sale.

Salesman Bruce: No, that’s okay, I like to do things the hard way.

(Where $10,000 represents the tax increase, which he could have easily asked be extended for six months or a year.)

chicagobusiness.com is down.

Comment by Cheswick Monday, May 4, 15 @ 12:53 pm
Rauner might have made the first sale, but since then we’ve discovered he is mostly fraud and that - keeps customers from returning.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 4, 15 @ 1:01 pm
“Listen friend, I’m just a salesman — a legitimate businessman offering a good or service for the benefit of the customer — ain’t that right, Dino?”

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Monday, May 4, 15 @ 2:07 pm
Good column. I also read it yesterday.

Be interesting to see if Rauner can figure out how to close a deal when he doesn’t hold all the cards.

Comment by RNUG Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:33 pm
Finally got to read the column, good read Rich, enjoyed it.

The end really made me think about all that is going on, and what do we know about Rauner and governing;

===But if Rauner can’t even move legislators to the “need” stage by the end of the spring legislative session, let’s hope he’ll cut his own “four heat deal.” We can’t afford a massive fiscal catastrophe.===

Is Rauner more apt to want catastrophe to prove a point, of more willing to govern within the constrains of cooperation and a “half a loaf” type end game for Illinois?

We are going to find out, some might find out the hard way.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 4, 15 @ 4:55 pm
Can he really fire all of us…

Comment by Property of IDOC Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:05 pm
OW:

Bring your marshmallows, my bet is they are gonna burn state government to the ground.

Good Friday wasn’t even a test run, more of a system’s check.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, May 4, 15 @ 10:22 pm
- YDD -,

That may be true, but what maybe Rauner personally may not think about is that he can’t “sell off” the state, or have the state go bankrupt.

Rauner burns it all down, Rauner had the ashes to govern from for 3 1/2 years.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 5, 15 @ 6:35 am