Hi Gordon,

I really enjoyed your response!

> Of course, this is just Ben's opinion.
> However, you'll find a large stack of
> evidence that great copywriters (remote
> salesmen) have a direct face-to-face selling
> background.

I'll just add in something here....

A couple of years ago, long before we started Sowpub, I asked Gordon a question on one of his forums.... (It might have been the Mr. Chattel board, for the "old timers"....) :)

I asked Gordon to give me some advice on successful marketing. And he told me what he told you here, Don.... Gordon recommended getting some "face-to-face" selling experience.

I didn't act on what he told me.... THEN, I met Gordon last year, when we were talking about getting the "Sowpub project" up and running.... I flew to Akron airport in Ohio specially to meet him.

I went around with Gordon to see various things, and I noticed that he did what he is describing here (but I'll get to that later)....

Anyway, after getting back to Australia, I decided I should ACT (finally) on Gordon's advice. I got some direct selling experience....

I had my first opportunity for experience in selling a new brand of blank CDs wholesale to computer stores. At first, I was terrified! I guess I was afraid of rejection.... That really is the number one fear.

BUT, guess what? Some accept you, and even when they don't, it's not so bad.... It's just "I'm not interested."

Now, if I had been a better salesperson, I could perhaps have turned some of those "not interesteds" into sales.... But I was new at this.

What I found was this.... With each store, my fear was diminishing!

Anyhow, from there I went into chattel, buying and selling second-hand property.... The way I did it involved some face-to-face selling.

But, my fear of doing this left me too, especially with experience.... You realize that there really isn't anything to be afraid of. And you'll find the benefits in other areas of your life as well, you'll feel more comfortable and confident around people.... You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by following Gordon's advice!

> There are TONS of stuff. But still, the very
> best way, in my opinion, is to do it.

> Get a part-time evening or weekend job
> selling something door-to-door. Do it for 90
> days and you'll know more about selling than
> any book or course could ever teach you.

> Personally, I wouldn't advise anyone to
> invest a lot of money in a course or a book
> or any sales training program without also
> having the direct face-to-face experience
> that goes along with it.

I can agree with this, I think it's good to do both in tandem.... Then you can read, and try it out immediately.

> One technique I've used with people, and
> I've written about it extensively, here and
> elsewhere, is once you get a foundation...

> let's say you spend one afternoon or evening
> watching THE MUSIC MAN and reading Elmer
> Wheeler's TESTED SENTENCES THAT SELL...

> then go spend a couple of hours at a mall,
> and visit every store, engage an employee of
> that store and try to "sell" them
> something...

> a smile, a laugh...try to INFLUENCE that
> person to do something you want them to. Do
> that in every single store...develop a
> "presentation" you can use, see if
> you can make everyone you encounter
> "buy" your product...so to speak.

Gordon was doing this when I visited him in Ohio.... He's a master. He had everyone he met smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves -- he "sold" them a smile! :)

> After that, now that you have some
> confidence, learn the numbers game, go get
> some REJECTION in the streets, and learn how
> to alter your approach, pitch, close...and
> to actually get some money from their
> wallets. ONLY then can you take the
> knowledge of salesmanship into the WISDOM of
> effective action.

> A great place to start would be with REMOTE
> HYPNOSIS, where I cover the basics of
> preoccupation and how to break it.

Remote Hypnosis is a great product, it's very powerful but only if you DO the pictogrigm. You actually have to draw your own. If you do that, it can transform how you look at the sales process....

What I like about it is that it's applicable everywhere, whether you are meeting people face-to-face, or online. While it is especially written for REMOTE influence -- selling via the internet or in print -- once you understand the principles you can apply it to anything you like. Anything where you use communication is where it can be applied. :)

We already have many happy purchasers of Remote Hypnosis, and there's an unconditional money back guarantee too. You can't lose. :)

Cheers,

Dien