One of the attendees on a recent video call asked me why I have a piñata in my office. The answer is not only a story about the piñata, but also a lesson in the art of following up on a sales call.
The concept of the piñata is believed to have originated in China and was part of the Chinese New Year celebration. The celebrations had colorful figures of animals that were filled with seeds. Striking the animal figures to let the seeds fall out was seen as a sign of good luck. The tradition eventually made its way to Europe and ultimately Mexico. Over time, piñatas have transformed into colorful, intricate works of art that are part of many ceremonies.
Fast forward to early 2021. Because offices were closed in the dark days of COVID and people were working remotely, the concept of sending a gift to an office was no longer feasible. To paraphrase Michael Crichton, commerce finds a way. Practically overnight this whole industry of people sending stuff to home addresses magically appeared. Nearly every week, someone would ping me on LinkedIn to ask if they could send me a piñata through the mail. Probably a dozen companies asked to send me a piñata. Why a piñata crept into the zeitgeist and not some other form of gift is a mystery, but I responded to the more credible requests. The responses were usually met with deafening silence. Did these companies vaporize as soon as they formed? Was offering to send a piñata no longer attractive for a salesperson? My cynical New Yorker brain thought these may have been thinly disguised attempts at securing home addresses for nefarious purposes. Fortunately, that didn’t happen – but the lack of response from these solicitations was concerning.
Finally, one company did send me a piñata. You didn’t have to whack it with a stick to open it. Senor piñata had a trap door on the top. The candy inside didn’t look very appealing and was soon discarded. The next day, the salesperson who sent it called me. Package delivered, transaction completed, customer surprised and excited. This transaction would prove to be the exception.
I kept this one in my office. Why did I keep it? Not because everything else in the office is white or beige and I needed a splash of color on video calls. It was because these guys delivered and followed up. The other piñata people either ghosted me on LinkedIn, or shipped and I never heard from them again. That is the lesson. If you are a salesperson, outbound demand generator, job candidate, or anyone offering their services, following up with the prospect is as crucial as taking that first step.
