Boyd -- thanks for the pointer on the video. I'll have to track it down. I do have some pitches on video that I taped off the TV years ago. Should dig them out.

Two interesting resources on "pitching", no make that three.

First - Dien referenced a site a while back on the "Cool Finders" or something like that. The index of stories on that site has a long article on Ron Popeil. Very interesting.

Second - one of my favorite books on selling - "Secrets of Closing the Sale" by Zig Ziglar - has lots of examples of the "pitch" throughout it's pages. Zig made his living selling cookware and food choppers before getting in the motivation biz.

Third - "Unlimited Selling Power" by Donald Moine (sp?) is about applying NLP to selling. It's a pretty good book. In the back they have a couple of Ed McMahon's pitches word for word.

When my job was to pull in the crowd the favorite lead in to use was "Excuse me -- did you get your dollar yet? We are giving away dollars..." That was usually good to get at least several people's attention and get the pitch off and running.

Gordon I find the "Home and Garden" shows still have some good pitches running. Vitamix, pots and pans, etc.

Have a good day!

-- Dan Butler

> I love these people.

> As other's might learn in the White Bread
> Post, I too was a "pitchman",
> although the company preferred the tamer
> DEMO guy. Same thing.

> I was recently at two golf shows in the
> area, where dozens of booths were set up,
> and this relates to what has been talked
> about recently in Flea Markets and Trade
> Shows.

> MOST of the people at the golf show just sat
> there. Hardly any initiated contact or
> conversation, many seemed embarassed to be
> there.

> What a waste of time and money. But there
> were a couple of booths that had stacks of
> people, and these were the ones with a
> "pitchman" and a product DEMO.

> The pitter patter hasn't changed since Ed
> McMahon was doing his schtick on the
> Boardwalk.

> Fast talk (because the brain can keep up
> with it and stays engaged)...by frequent
> QUESTIONS, punctuated by the AMAZING part of
> the demo...all leading to a ASKING for the
> money...

> and during this time, we find the TIME
> limited offer (show special only)...the
> bonus...

> buy the soap we throw in the mop for free.

> Excitement. Enthusiasm. The kind you now see
> so rarely unless you attend a seminar by a
> Utah company...where they have mastered the
> pitch.

> All the elements of SALESMANSHIP.

> Cossman, Harvey Brody, Popeil were schooled
> in the DEMONSTRATION and built successful
> careers from this.

> Nothing beats face to face selling, and the
> PITCH in a crowd is equally educational.

> What most people CAN'T do, or WON'T do
> allows others to make money.

> Funny thing, in an audio program I've just
> recorded I teach the Wallflower how to
> become a dynamo in less than 3 hours using
> principles of the NEW paradigm in selling,
> the NO REJECTION SELLING method...and it has
> it's foundation on the old world principles.

> Thanks Boyd, hope you're feeling better
> soon.

> Gordon Alexander