YIKES, the cops visit the HEADLIGHT guy...

[Dien Rice]

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for sharing that story!

It reminds me of something which happened to me...

First, I'll explain. There's a magazine in some parts of the world called "The Big Issue." It started in the UK, and can be found now in various countries (including Australia, where I live).

It's a magazine which helps the homeless... The magazine is professionally produced. However, only homeless people can sell it. By selling the magazine, they can make some money for themselves.

Okay... Several years ago, I took a job selling discounted tickets for a local comedy club. I had only just started this job... And was doing my best to sell the tickets in a popular pedestrian mall.

I figured I had a good spot to try to interest passers-by in these comedy tickets. However, about 15 feet away was another seller... A homeless man, selling "The Big Issue."

I figured it was okay. Nobody "owned" any particular spot. Plus, we were selling quite different things. He was selling a magazine, and I was selling comedy tickets.

However, he had a different idea.

He said, "You can't sell here. Go somewhere else."

Now, I thought... I don't have to move. He doesn't "own" any spot in the pedestrian mall. So I ignored him, and kept doing my best to sell...

So, he got angry. He opened up his lungs, and yelled louder,

"You can't sell here! Go move somewhere else!"

My thoughts were... He can't tell me where to sell!

However... on the other hand, I felt a bit sorry for him. Even if I sold no tickets, I still had a roof over my head to go home to, and food on the table to eat. He may not have those things.

Despite my reservations... in the end, I moved. (Even though I was sure I didn't have to!)

I didn't sell too many tickets anyway (either at that spot, or anywhere else)!

It was overall, a good experience, though...

(I did end up really improving my selling skills over time. Many years ago, Gordon recommended to me that I get some experience in selling, as it would help me in business. So I did, and it did!)

Best wishes,

Dien

I've cleaned many headlights for free, but the choice has always been mine.

One lady was a superb con artist who almost had me believing that I had already polished her lights and now they looked bad again. It was so much fun listening to her BS, that I went along with it and cleaned her lights for free. She was the type who would have done well selling the magic cleaning fluid, like in the Kenny Brooks video. As it happens, most people don't want to be the first to try out an unknown, so while I was working on her lights, two more cars pulled up and waited for the service. I had fun, and got two jobs that likely wouldn't have come by if I hadn't already been working.

Then there are people who are just cheap. Everything they buy has to be a deal, or at least they have to try to get a deal. I offer my service at a fair price for the results, so there is no room for a discount unless I just want to give one for whatever reason. For me, it depends on how the person asks for a discount that determines whether or not I'll give one.

In the story Gordon told about the cop coming, the guy was a bit surly and I felt offended that he didn't see the value I offered him. That's why I took the hard line and raised my offer to him. A guy like that would find something wrong no matter how the job came out and would then demand his money back. No thanks dude, I'd rather take a nap than deal with the likes of you.

Since that incident there have been several people that wanted a discount. I've tried several different responses to see how people react. At first I'd just say no and walk away. That left me feeling bad about the encounter, so I came up a response that defuses the situation and leaves me on top even if they decide not to get the service.

I now say, "Oh, you want the twenty dollar service?". Every response has been, "No, I want the whole thing." They either come up with the money or they drive off saying they'll be back.

[GordonJ]

What's been fun for me is we have a LABORATORY in a Suburban parked at a car wash...although yesterday, we went to the other side of town (a 7 minute trip) and set up in a vacant lot...something we don't recommend you do...since we got TWO in the first 10 minutes, Boz is contacting the owner to get permission...

we'll be testing different locations...any....whoooo...

We treat it as a game, Boz Can't Lose Game...while I like to record and take notes about REACTIONS...and the

RESPONSES

to our STIMULI, what we say, how we say it...

I'm noting Tone, Inflection, testing Mirroring, NLP, Old Fashioned Salesmanship...which brings us back to

Spiders, Snakes and Mice...

Today I'm going to Re Record and make a guerrilla animated video of my experience which set me on a path of salesmanship and understanding of human behavior.

When I was 10 (or 9, not sure) a neighbor asked me to pick flowers from a field gone to seed, a field which was a few years earlier a thriving nursery...

Another neighbor, Mr. White taught me some MAGIC WORDS and at the end of an hour, I had one of the most useful LESSONS of my life and I went home a dollar richer BIG MONEY for a 9 year old in 1959...

along with two books by the Elmers...

Wheeler's TESTED SENTENCES THAT SELL

Leterman's THE SALE BEGINS WHEN THE CUTOMER SAYS NO

And since I just experienced both of these "truths" it set me down the path of discovery...

So today, the adventure continues being able to Test our sentences, checking reactions, observing human behavior while in a sales process.

I've noted we get business when we're doing a job...

Cialdini's Social Proof I think best describes this sales phenomen...

So, today I'll record SPIDERS, SNAKES AND MICE, OH MY along with my NEW video...

The Alexander MODIFIED Maslow Pyramid and then we'll get into the SQ1...

My FREE course on persuasion will then be:

Two part video Spiders, Snakes and Mice, OH MY

PictoGrigm of Persuasion YOU

PictoGrigm of Persuasion TARGET/PROSPECT (PoP Transaction)

Two Part Alexander MODIFIED Maslow Pyramid

and one final VIDEO called...

So, now KNOWING what you know...what do you want and what are you going to do.

Hopefully be done by weekend.

Gordon (from the human laboratory along the streets of Carlsbad, NM) Alexander

PS. The headlight cleaning biz is more of a find a need and fill it...and doesn't take any real selling...just let them see you...and VIOLA, some pretty easy money.

PPS. I think this would be a great business for a teenager...I'm sure they would make far more than what a McDonald's experience would give them.