heard at work today
The manager of a shop is training a new assistant in advanced sales techniques one sunny Friday in the springtime. "The trick isn't just getting someone to buy something" said the manager. "You have to convince them to buy something they don't want or don't know that they need". Leading by example, the manager tells the assistant to watch him when the next customer arrives.
A few minutes later the bell rings as a customer enters the shop. "Fair morrow, Sir" emits the shopkeep. "How might we help Sir today?".
"I'd like a packet of grass seed, please" said the customer. The manager trotted to a nearby shelf, selected an item and returned.
"Here you are, sir, one packet of grass seed. If you just follow me now I'll take you to the garden hardware department to get you a lawnmower."
"What do I want a lawnmower for?" asked the puzzled customer.
"If Sir looks at the contents of Sir's hand Sir will espy a packet of grass seed," replied the manager. "Grass seed grows into grass which will eventually require cutting."
"What a splendid wheeze!" said the customer before buying the proferred lawnmower.
The manager now told the assistant "the next customer who comes in is yours. Whatever they ask for try and sell them something else that they didn't know they were going to need."
A few short moments later the door opened, the bell tinkled and a second customer appeared. He approached the counter and spoke:
"I'd like a couple of packets of tampons and a bottle of Feminax, please" he said.
"Certainly sir... just a moment... there you go," said the assistant, reaching beneath the counter for the items. "And if you just follow me now I'll take you to the garden hardware department to get you a lawnmower."
"A lawnmower?" puzzled the customer and manager together.
"A lawnmower" replied the assistant. "It looks like you're weekend's fucked so you might as well mow the grass."
( wingpig wish I'd known about liquify eighteen years ago, Thu 8 Dec 2005, 17:37, Reply)