Bill Hicks Hated Salespeople and Advertisers.

Look, I don't want to be the one to say there is such a thing as karma.

But let's talk about Bill Hicks. He's the comedian who died of pancreatic cancer at age 32.

I do like some things Hicks said. But I don't like what he had to say about people in sales and marketing. Hicks didn't like salespeople and marketers much.

He actually said "By the way if anyone here is in advertising or marketing…kill yourself."

Right. He really said that. Hey, buddy, what you put out there comes back to ya, you know.

So, why?

Maybe he thought marketers were just about creating problems where there weren't any.

But a good marketer creates solutions where there aren't any. It isn't just about having something that helps people. Sometimes it's about getting people to think a different way so they see a way out of a problem they felt stuck in with a solution you can point them to. That's thought leadership marketing.

Maybe he thought marketers made people feel bad so they could sell them something to make them feel better.

But there is another direction besides "away from problems" and that direction is "towards a better life."

A good marketer uplifts people and fills them with positive emotions so what is being sold becomes - as much as anything - a vehicle for making people feel good. 

What a horrible thing to do... to want to make people feel good...happy...joyous...fulfilled.

That's the opposite of how Hicks made anyone in sales in his audience feel. Who's the one really doing damage here?

A good salesperson or marketer truly cares about customers and prospects. By their impact, they help people become happier and they gain satisfaction from that.

Hicks was dead wrong.