“The „Say-Something Formula‟ is composed of (1) a ten-second „attention-getter‟ or „door-crasher‟; (2) a three-minute sales presentation; and (3) a sixty-second close. You will find that most successful sales demonstrations are built on this simple selling formula. “But first let us see an example of a salesman selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door, who has mechanically memorized his sales talk like a parrot. I will take the part of the salesman, and Mr. Powell will take the part first of my sales manager and then of my prospect.”
SALES MANAGER POWELL: “Wheeler, here is our spring and summer sales talk on the new Bojack! Memorize it.” (Gives Wheeler a large tin can.)
SALESMAN WHEELER: “Yes, sir, Mr. Powell.” (Takes tin can.)
SALES MANAGER POWELL (Slaps Wheeler on back): “Go to it, boy!”
WHEELER (TO AUDIENCE): “armed with my canned sales talk, I now approach my first prospect, and this is what happens to your product if it is sold with high-pressure sales language that is highly memorized.”
Skit 1
Selling With A “Canned” Sales Talk SALESMAN (Saunters to door. Presses the bell. Yawns. Woman answers the door.): “Good morning, madam. Is the lady of the house around? You‟re the maid, I take it?”
WOMAN: “Why – I‟ll have you understand I‟m the lady of this house!”
SALESMAN: “pardon me. I‟m the salesman from the Bojack Vacuum Cleaner Company – sent here to demonstrate the New Bojack, and clean one of your dirty rugs.” WOMAN: “Well, now, just a minute – who told you I had a dirty rug?” SALESMAN: “well, you‟d be the only family on the street that didn‟t! Besides, Mrs. Abernathe across the street said you certainly needed something to keep your house clean. I‟ll step in, madam. I won‟t take too long.” (Forces himself in. The woman is dismayed but reluctantly lets him in.)
WOMAN: “I don‟t know who Mrs. Abernathe is, but as long as you are here – well – “
SALESMAN: “Just site down in this chair, while I hook up this apparatus, and give your rug a good cleaning. I want you to notice in particular the beauty of this cleaner. It was designed by that fellow who designed a train or something – I just forget his name.
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