…and I am blind.
One of the stories we discussed in class is the story of Rosser Reeves. As the story goes, there was a homeless man who was sitting in central park with a sign saying: “I am blind”, asking for money. Rosser Reeves, upon seeing this man with his sign, made a bet that just with the addition of 3 words, the homeless man would get more donations. Reeves added the words: “It is springtime” to the beginning of the sign. Now, the sign read: “It is springtime, and I am blind”. Sure enough, the homeless man received more donations. By simply adding those three words, it engendered empathy and donations for passersby. One of the most important questions in sales is: “compared to what”. Clarity is key to a successful sales process, and comparison is one of the most effective ways of bringing clarity. When reading the homeless man’s new and improved sign, it causes one to look around at the beauty of spring, and wonder what it would be like not to see the trees blooming, the birds flying back and forth, and the kids playing in the park. This kind of comparison – between the homeless man and the passerby – causes empathy to stir and action to be made. This is an invaluable tool when it comes to sales. People understand scenarios they can relate to and are truly empathetic at heart.
BoweryJE22
I think stirring the customers empathy is a vital tool in selling! Great post!
Whenever I first read this passage in the book, I have to admit I was confused about the message it was portraying. After reflecting on the story, I began to understand the idea of clarity and the potential impact it could have on others. Clarity is often difficult to achieve, but the story goes to show that with the right message it is possible.
I loved this example that Professor Sweet gave us in class. I didn’t realize where it was going at first but it made so much sense and was so true that when given a comparison people become a lot more perceptive of a situation.