Chapter 16 Let the other person feel that the decision is their own
There is such a trait in the bones of people: no one likes to be forced to do things or accept other people's opinions. People like to buy things according to their own wishes and do things according to their own ideas.And, anyone would be glad to have someone probe their minds and ask for their opinion.
We can think about it, do you value your own ideas more than other people's ideas?If so, wouldn't it be wise to force your opinion into someone else's head?
Eugene is a salesman for a studio in New York State. His job is to buy sketches of the studio's designs to fashion designers and textile manufacturers.Eugene has been in this industry for some years, has accumulated a wealth of experience, and can always sell the sketch every time.But once, he encountered a client who was difficult to convince.This is a well-known fashion designer in the local area.Every time Eugene went, the designer always received him warmly and carefully looked at the sketches he brought, but he just refused to buy them.In order to win this business, Eugene has run back and forth more than 150 times, but there is still no result.Failure did not change Eugene's determination, and every night he took a little time to study the philosophy of persuasion, to develop new ideas and create new enthusiasm.
Before long, Eugene found a new method.He casually took out a few unfinished sketches, came to the designer's office, and asked the designer to put forward his opinions.This time, the designer left the unfinished sketches and asked Eugene to find him in a few days.
A few days later, Eugene came to the designer's office, got the designer's modification opinion, and completed the pattern design according to his opinion.The designer bought the sketches without saying a word.
Since then, the fashion designer has become a regular customer of Eugene, often buying some patterns from him, which are completely drawn according to the designer's ideas.
Eugene's approach is very simple. He just makes customers feel that the patterns are created by himself, so that he doesn't need to sell them to urge the other party to buy these patterns, and the other party will automatically buy them.
Make a suggestion and let the other person decide for themselves.This can make others feel that the conclusions are drawn by themselves.
When Roosevelt was the governor of New York, whenever there were important positions to be filled, he asked those political party dignitaries to recommend them.Of course, these people initially recommended some unpopular characters, and Roosevelt rejected them because the public could not pass them.
Later they elected another one. Although that person had nothing to criticize on the surface, he also had no merits to praise.Roosevelt told them that if such a person was appointed, he would fail the public's expectations, so he asked them to elect another person who was more suitable for this position.
The person they recommended for the third time was much better than the first two, but it was still not ideal.
So Roosevelt thanked them and told them to try again.For the fourth time, what they recommended was exactly the person they needed.After expressing his gratitude for their assistance, he appointed this person.Moreover, Roosevelt also gave them the title to appoint this person.Taking this opportunity, Roosevelt told them that he had done something to make them happy, and now it was time for them to follow his advice and do a few things.
Roosevelt believed that the party leaders were willing to do the same, because they had helped with major reforms in the government, such as voting rights, the tax code, and the municipal public service bill.
Of course, Roosevelt spent a lot of time and energy asking for their advice over and over again, but this approach made those leaders really feel that they "self" chose the candidates, and the appointments were also their first proposals. .
A car dealer on Long Island used the same technique to successfully sell a used car to a picky Scotchman.
The Scot went to the dealer many times to look at the car and was always dissatisfied, which annoyed the dealer.Later, the businessman's friends advised him to stop selling to the Scot and let him buy automatically.Friends told him that instead of telling the Scots what to do, let him tell you what to do, making him feel like he had the idea.
The businessman took advice from his friends.A few days later, when a customer wanted to trade in his old car for a new one, the businessman tried the new method he had just learned.He knew that the old car might hold some attraction for the Scot.So he called and asked the Scot to come over and give him some advice.
When the Scot arrived, the merchant asked him to estimate the value of the car.The Scot happily agreed to the businessman's request. He drove around outside, tested the performance of the test car, and finally suggested to the businessman to buy the car at a price of 300 yuan.
The businessman then asked the Scot if he could sell the car at this price, would he be willing to buy it?The Scot agreed without saying a word, because it was his opinion.
An X-ray manufacturer, using the same trick, sold his first instruments to one of Brooklyn's largest hospitals.The hospital is building a computer room to house the best X-ray machines in America. Dr. L, the person in charge of the newly built computer room, was surrounded by salesmen, each of whom said that their instruments were the best.
But the X-ray maker was shrewd — he was so much better at persuading people than anyone else, he wrote:
We have recently successfully developed a new type of X-ray machine.The first machines have just arrived at our office and they are of course not perfect, we know that and we are working on improving them, if you take the time to take a look and let us know how it might work better for you, we will Grateful.We know you are busy, and we would love to send a car to pick you up at the time you specify.
"I was really amazed to get that letter," Dr. L said later in his account of the incident. "I was amazed and kind of flattered that I had never been asked for my opinion by an X-ray machine manufacturer and it made me feel important and I felt like I was being greatly complimented. I was busy every night during that time , but I canceled appointment after appointment just to see that machine. The more I researched, the more I found that I absolutely loved that machine."
"No one asked me to buy that X-ray machine. I think I convinced the hospital to buy that X-ray machine. I convinced myself of the advantages of that machine and installed it."
When President Wilson was in the White House, when he dealt with domestic and international affairs, Colonel Hess had a great influence on him. Wilson relied on Colonel Hess more than on his cabinet members.
How did the Colonel influence the President?
Fortunately, we know his secret because Hess himself revealed it to Smith, who was quoted by Smith in an article in the Saturday Evening Post: "'After I met the President,' Hess said,' Through observation and research, I found that the best way to make him believe in an idea is to "accidentally" transplant this idea into his mind, make him interested in it, make him actively think, and thus "figure it out" The idea. The first time this worked, it was an accident. I visited him at the White House to persuade him to adopt a new policy, which he seemed to disapprove of at the time. A few days later, in At the dinner party, I was amazed to hear him say my proposal, which of course was his own idea.’” Did Hess stop him and say, “That’s not what you meant, was that mine?” Absolutely No, Hess absolutely not.He's too smart to do that.He never took credit, he wanted results, so he kept President Wilson feeling that the idea was his.Hess actually did more than that, but he has been openly claiming that Wilson was to blame.
A man in New Brunswick used this method on me a few years ago, making me his customer.
I was planning to go boating and fishing in Lenswick, New York.So I wrote to a travel agency asking for information: my name, address, apparently listed in the public list, because I was immediately surrounded by a dozen letters, brochures from camping centers and guides, and I was stunned Well, I don't know which one to choose.Then one of the camp directors did a neat thing—he gave me the names and phone numbers of a few New York guests he had had, and asked me to call them and find out for myself how his service was.I was surprised to find out that I knew one of them.I called him to ask his experience and then called the camp and told him the date of my arrival.
Everyone else tried to sell me their services, but one man made me buy it myself, and he won.