A famous art collector is walking through the city when he notices a
mangy cat lapping milk from a saucer in the doorway of a store and he
does a double take.
He notices that the saucer is extremely old and very valuable, so he walks casually into the store and offers to buy the cat for two dollars.
The store owner replies, "I'm sorry, but the cat isn't for sale.
The collector says, "Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. I'll pay you twenty dollars for that cat."
And the owner says "Sold," and hands over the cat.
The collector continues, "Hey, for the twenty bucks I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat's used to it and it'll save me from having to get a dish."
And the owner says, "Sorry buddy, but that's my lucky saucer. So far this week I've sold sixty-eight cats."
He notices that the saucer is extremely old and very valuable, so he walks casually into the store and offers to buy the cat for two dollars.
The store owner replies, "I'm sorry, but the cat isn't for sale.
The collector says, "Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. I'll pay you twenty dollars for that cat."
And the owner says "Sold," and hands over the cat.
The collector continues, "Hey, for the twenty bucks I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat's used to it and it'll save me from having to get a dish."
And the owner says, "Sorry buddy, but that's my lucky saucer. So far this week I've sold sixty-eight cats."
Moral
of the Story: Understanding the "hot buttons" that motivate your
prospects to take action is much more valuable to your sales career than
memorizing spec sheets or product facts. The next time you're at an
industry trade show... tour the floor and take special note of the
booths that are stopping prospects in their tracks. Generally these
booths are needs focused and have a visual display that sets them apart
from the rest. Then shamelessly copy ideas, themes and concepts that
will better position your business or your product in your customers'
eyes. If you can get your prospects to stop dead in their tracks it
will be a lot easier for you to get them to open their wallets!
"The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal; the good one really does." - William Blake
"The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal; the good one really does." - William Blake
