High Pressure Sales Methods - 2

I know it is the long weekend for you Americans. But here is a snippet from one of the Gnome Chompski lectures on Using Language to Sell Your Product

Let us look at three similar sentences …

Do you need help?

Can I help you?

I am here to help!

You should be using all three at work frequently, but you will find that number three is the most effective … why? Why indeed. Remember the Hungry Sales Wolf … get focused and the focus is on getting people to do what you want. All three of these will maneuver your prospect into a feeling of emotional obligation that can only be paid off when they take out their wallet and give you money. Let us explore!

Do you need help? Only one person is mentioned here, the prospect. The implication here is You incompetent pile of steaming dung. This is the sort of thing you use to talk to grade school children.

Can I help you? Two people are mentioned here, the rabbit and the wolf, er, the prospect and the salesperson. There is still an assumption of superior competence on the part of the wolf, although the rabbit-prospect is granted semi-competent status. The implication here is You are stuck in the mud. This is the sort of thing you use to talk to high school students.

I am here to help! Only one person here, the salesperson. It speaks of confidence. The implication here is Life is wonderful. This is the sort of thing the superior salesperson speaks confidently throughout the day.

Remember the rule of negation. Most people automatically disagree with what you say. So if you offer to help, they will refuse. But in the refusing, you have acquired a psychologically valuable but materially worthless bargaining chip. You have done no work, but now have all the benefits of having done work!

Words are powerful tools to make you money. Try these three sentences out today and see which works best for you. Good Hunting!

I, Fenris, wrote this.