I was walking through the high street during a lunch break today and got stopped by a fund raiser. You know the ones, bright red coats, a smile and a deceptively friendly demeanor. Normally I'd walk away, but for some reason decided to give this girl 30 seconds to grab my attention. If she couldn't do it, then I'd stop her in her tracks and walk away.
So what did she open with?
[Fundraiser] "If you had 82 million of something, would you be happy to give up 2 of them?"
[Dezzamondo] "Sure, I guess I would."
[Fundraiser] "You have 82 million minutes in an average lifetime, would you mind sparing me 2 to hear what I have to say?"
Boom. She got a sale.
Throughout the pitch I kept analyzing her techniques and trying to second guess where I was being led. In short she used:
Whilst it was very good, there was certainly room for improvement:
In the end I was more than happy to part with a reasonable donation to the Red Cross. She also ended up with some suggestions on how to improve it after clocking myself smiling at certain points during her pitch. I really did enjoy watching it unfold, even through the more boring parts!
Moral of the story:
Grab your target's attention in a unique and clever manner, find an area close to their hearts & persona and then CLOSE THE SALE QUICKLY... Rather than giving them the full works.
So what did she open with?
[Fundraiser] "If you had 82 million of something, would you be happy to give up 2 of them?"
[Dezzamondo] "Sure, I guess I would."
[Fundraiser] "You have 82 million minutes in an average lifetime, would you mind sparing me 2 to hear what I have to say?"
Boom. She got a sale.
Throughout the pitch I kept analyzing her techniques and trying to second guess where I was being led. In short she used:
- Mental imagery - Painted several scenarios in my head.
- Some of the "Life Force (I forget the number, 8 maybe?)" values from the Cashvertising book - Put me in the shoes of friends and relatives in the forces and then switched to a direct comparison with Red Cross volunteers overseas.
- Tactical slight of hand - Didn't have a clipboard in her hand... she kept it in a backpack, looking more normal.
- Life similarities - Probed for minor details in my life (work, family, friends) and steered it to show how her life has had many similarities. She could now relate to things directly important to me.
- Full of facts. Fountain of knowledge on the charity and their exploits. Very impressive & not the usual generic rubbish.
Whilst it was very good, there was certainly room for improvement:
- Length of the pitch was too long. Over mid-day, some people will have very little time to spare. She needed to refine it and hone in on her opportunities faster. It took us 20 mins(!!!!).
- Got boring at a point. After so long, I almost switched off. If I wasn't analyzing her pitch I might never have heard some of her more important points.
- Too many diversions. After she caught me on one point, she would re-gear and aim for another. There were three in total.
- Kept moving. She somehow managed to rotate about 90 degrees around me by the end of the pitch. Very odd.
In the end I was more than happy to part with a reasonable donation to the Red Cross. She also ended up with some suggestions on how to improve it after clocking myself smiling at certain points during her pitch. I really did enjoy watching it unfold, even through the more boring parts!
Moral of the story:
Grab your target's attention in a unique and clever manner, find an area close to their hearts & persona and then CLOSE THE SALE QUICKLY... Rather than giving them the full works.
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