R. Paul Wilson Reveals Psychological Techniques Used as a Salesman
In the past, I dabbled in the world of sales pitches, from late-night television commercials to extensive advertising campaigns. Surprisingly, these seemingly simple methods can significantly influence our decisions in various areas of life. In this article, I'll share my experiences selling a deck of magic cards, where the real magic was in watching people get manipulated.
Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane
Back in the 1980s, I got involved with an odd man who set up "Svengali" pitches across the UK, hiring young people—often magicians—to sell a deck of cards that could perform astounding card tricks. I landed this job through a magician friend.
After a brief audition period, I was sent from Glasgow, Scotland, to Newcastle in the north of England to gather audiences, astonish them with these magical cards, and deliver a persuasive sales pitch.
I wasn't very good at this from the start, and my sales were dismal. When my employer came to check up on me after my first week, he revealed that my top-notch sleight of hand skills were actually hurting my sales. He explained that my audience needed to believe they could perform these miracles themselves by just buying the special deck of cards.
In other words, I had to act like my hands were clumsy.
Hide Your Expertise, Appear Ordinary
Combining my employer's sales approach with my newly acquired skills made a huge difference. My sales skyrocketed from almost none to being one of the better pitches.
When my employer returned to collect his earnings, he offered more advice on increasing sales. This included a few psychology-based techniques to make people feel compelled to open their wallets.
My overall sales improved, but the most intriguing part was how my pitches became more consistent. I had fewer unwanted sales, meaning my confidence increased.
One of these subtle tricks was incredibly basic but incredibly potent.
Subtleness Doesn't Equal Weakness
These "subtle" methods initially appeared too insignificant to be truly effective, but they were actually very powerful.
Gathering a crowd isn't as easy as it sounds. Any street performer will tell you that attracting people to their performances is challenging. But retaining their attention can be even harder.
For a pitch at a table in a store or mall, I could perform for anywhere from five to fifty people, but only if I could keep them engaged throughout the entire presentation.
To attract an audience, I would start my scripted pitch for no one, just hoping people would stop to watch. As one person paused to observe, another would join them, and another, until I had a sizable crowd that would magnetically draw more people behind them.
I then began the pitch anew, starting over from where I was when I was alone at the table.
This method worked as people are naturally curious but also reluctant to interact with strangers or feel pressured to purchase. The key was to present what I was doing as a show—NOT a sales pitch—and to constantly remind people that the show was "free."
As soon as I had enticed the crowd, I would start the pitch again, from the beginning.
Once I had drawn a group of strangers, I would perform the magic tricks that convinced them to watch me in the first place. Once they saw how these cards worked, they were hooked. They would stay to learn how they operated, and then inevitably, they would hear the pitch.
At the end of the sales pitch, my employer had a series of psychological tactics that tempted even the most doubtful customers into purchasing.
One Final Psychological Weapon
After drawing in a group of strangers, it would be a waste of time to let them leave without buying whatever product was being sold, but this can be a tricky moment in any sales situation.
The price point at the time was quite high.
However, you could purchase the same deck of magic cards from any magic shop for a fraction of the price. My employer armed the final part of the pitch with several psychological tools that, when used strategically, made it nearly impossible for people to resist.
His secret: creating a perceived high value for the deck of cards.
Initially, I would execute two other stunts during my sales pitch with their unique sets of cards. Frequently, these tricks would entice specific individuals seeking to potentially profit through a card game variant of Three Card Monte or unveil thoughts by performing a traditional mentalist act. Nevertheless, these extra tricks were not up for purchase.
Rather, they were part of a compilation that I would assemble following my presentation.
After displaying the cards, I would disclose a colossal box resembling a gigantic deck of playing cards. Then, I would insert the (normal sized) cards I had just demonstrated and subsequently toss in the Three Card Monte trick and the Mind Reading phenomenon as "bonuses" within the box before closing it and revealing multiple jumbo boxes on the table.
Only when I included all that "value" did I divulge the fee.
Although this procedure proved incredibly fruitful, it possessed a pivotal defect: the presentation had concluded, and the product were still within my grasp.
Fortunately, my employer imparted a profound nuance that boosted my profits twofold: sales skyrocketed, and fewer people departed from my booth.
Picture it – a single "trick" that multiplied my earnings overnight.
This secret? It seems so elementary that I struggle to comprehend its efficacy.
After unveiling the containers and integrating the "extra" bonus material, I would furnish them to the attendees rather than positioning them on the table and would elaborate on their magnitude and heft, stressing that this "magic set" would make the perfect present.
I even thought of wrapping several boxes with a bow and arranging them behind me.
At the culmination of my presentation, I would also distribute a wrapped box, safeguarding all doubts and persuading even the most unconvinced customers to purchase this marvelous package!
Curiously, these minor details astonishingly amplified my revenue. Remarkably, I observed analogous tactics utilized in various realms, from a car showroom to an online store disseminating an app or a website protracting indefinitely without outright stating the product's cost but subtly expounding on its captivating advantages.
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