"Soft as a baby's a... and fit you like a glove"...

..even a golf glove!

That's what the man said about his 'Leather ' jackets - an Italian man.

Gordon, just reading your post lower down reminded me of an Italian and his two amigos who are obviously graduates of the same school as your golf glove salesman...they have been operating a scam throughout Ireland for the last couple of years.

I first met him about two years ago. I was driving home one evening and saw this guy standing beside his car on the side of the road and frantically waving his arms.

He looked like one of the Mario brothers...I assumed he had car trouble and pulled over to see if I could help.

"I no spik dee Eeengleesh" he started.

But he did speak enough to tell me that he was just coming from a Trade Show, selling Gucci leather jackets...due to a mix up he had lost his plane ticket and his flight to Italy was in two hours...the only way he could get another ticket was to sell the three Gucci leather jackets he had in the car...they cost £240 each at the show but he would let me have the three of them for £300 because he was 'desperate'.

I could smell it a mile off, but he persisted...took out the jackets...beautifully packaged ( Taiwan's best )...told me his wife and kids would be waiting at the airport...

I knocked him down to £150 for the three..I knew I would be able to turn them over in the pub...but then I realized that I had no cash on me...no problem..he asked had I an ATM Cashcard...ok he would follow me to the nearest machine...and he did...about two miles.

It was not his lucky day...the machine was out of cash...there was nothing I could do!

He was devastated...to be so close..to have done all the hard work and then to be denied...cruel.

I knew how he felt...it is terrible to lose a sale through 'external' circumstances...I once spent three weeks 'selling' a car to a guy...I stalked him...I intimidated him...I hypnotized him...I filled him with Guinness until he was legless...and he cracked...he said YES...but I lost the sale - because his wife didn't like the COLOUR! Women!
( Hymm, there's another marketing lesson...who was the REAL customer for the car? )

Anyway Super Mario fairly burned rubber as he sped off in disgust...never to see me again.

But he did see me again, although I saw him first.

A year later I was selling my Christmas trees and I saw the car pulling in.

I turned to my salesman and said I bet this guy's first words will be..

Super Mario jumps out..."I no spik dee Eeengleesh" - I won my bet.

I played along...

Same story...Trade Show...airport..tickets...jackets...and a new angle...his wife was now Pregnant...nice touch.

I said I'd find out his bottom line...I drained him with Irish haggling tactics ang got him down to £75 for the three jackets ( how much did they cost him? - £5 - £10? ).

Anyway my salesman bought them...even though I warned him...I wouldn't fancy them in the rain...But what the heck...Super Mario deserved a sale...he had worked hard for it.

So, Gordon if you see a little Italian guy standing at the crossroads of the universe, waving his arms, do yourself a favour...KEEP GOING!

Jim

Hi Jim,

Interesting story....

Reminds me of something I read not too long ago....

I was reading Joe Sugarman's book, "Success Forces." This book is out of print, but you can still get copies from second-hand bookstores online (check out www.abe.com and www.bibliofind.com ).... Joe Sugarman is considered one of the top copywriters still alive....

In his book, he talks about six "Success Forces." One of these success forces is "Honesty". He says unless you are honest, you won't be a long-term success.... I believe him.

You might succeed in the short term by being dishonest. You might make ONE sale. But they won't buy from you again....

I don't like to talk about negative examples, but sometimes it's necessary.... Most of you may have heard of William McCorkle. He WAS a great success -- in the short term, to the tune of millions of dollars. But (according to the courts) he was dishonest in his infomercials and in other ways. The result? He and his wife got sentenced to 24 years in prison. This is an example of how dishonesty can succeed in the short term, and cause you to be a big LOSER in the long term.

The way Joe Sugarman talks about the importance of HONESTY is almost mystical. He says if you are not HONEST, you still might make lots of money, but you'll fail in some other way -- such as in your relationships, for example.

We know that TRUST is one component of all solid relationships, and without honesty there can be no trust....

Joe Sugarman goes even further. He says, even saying little white lies can be a force towards failure.... The more honest you are, the more a FORCE towards success will be created....

I think this is great advice. It all ties in with WIN/WIN/WIN.

Trust is something that needs time to build, but it can all come crashing down in an instant. Slow to gain, and quick to lose....

Another person I've mentioned before is Jack Nadel. He's not one of these "gurus" but he has built up more than one successful company (his current company can be found at www.nadel.com ). He's also written a few books -- the one I've read is "There's No Business Like Your Business."

One thing in his book STRUCK me like a lightning bolt. He said he doesn't do a deal if he doesn't believe the other person will benefit. So, even if the other person is willing, Jack Nadel said he wouldn't do the deal if he didn't believe BOTH sides would benefit, both him and his customer.

I'd never seen anyone SAY this before. Yet Jack Nadel is a HUGE success -- a multi-millionaire many times over.

Yes, he could get a short-term gain by doing a deal, even if the other person doesn't benefit. But once the customer realizes that he did NOT benefit from the deal, he'd be irate. He WOULDN'T want to deal with him again. (Or she.)

I think it's about RELATIONSHIPS. Just as none of us would cheat our mothers (well, I hope not :) , you shouldn't cheat your customer. I believe the way to WIN is through LONG-TERM thinking.... You want to deal with people again and again and again....

While here I mainly mentioned Joe Sugarman and Jack Nadel, these principles are also taught and practiced by Gordon Alexander, which is one of the reasons I (and many others) have been so attracted to his writings....

Be trustworthy yourself, and deal with people you trust too, and try to make sure that EVERYBODY benefits....

This should help lead to success -- not only financially, but also in the other "5 paths of life" which Gordon talks about -- particularly the social and spiritual paths of life too....

Just thought I'd share these thoughts.... :)

Dien Rice