The Sophisticated Beggar
During a recent trip to Edmonton I encountered someone who made an indelible impression on me. In fact, he captured my attention, made me laugh and yes he even closed the master closer. He did all of this in a matter of minutes by following several basic selling principles. As a matter of fact, I would say he was truly a professional at his trade. Ragged clothing, mussed hair, torn up shoes and rotting teeth aside, this man was at the very least a “sophisticated beggar” and at the most someone’s child who somehow, somewhere and someway lost his way in life.
It is amazing how some of life’s greatest lessons come from the least likely people or circumstances. The truth is there are an abundance of lessons available to all of us if we simply open our eyes and our hearts to the endless possibilities. So many times we are so caught up in “our own little world or pressing problems” that we are blind to the magical moments that surround us. I try to keep my head on a swivel at all times so I don’t miss these moments. This “by chance” encounter on a street corner in Edmonton was a great example of one of those magical moments.
As I left the restaurant with my business associates, Gordon and Bruce, we were immediately confronted by an abrasive person demanding money. Yes, I said demanding money and he was doing so in such a manner that someone’s desire to help would quickly diminish. Simply stated, the approach was flawed and overbearing. I have stopped many times to buy someone a meal, a pair of shoes , a coat or to provide some type of help when I felt strongly they truly needed assistance. I have also refused many times when I thought the spare change or money requested would go straight to booze or drugs. This was one of those times that I simply said no.
As I waited on the light to change, Gordon and I were involved in a great conversation. Excitement was in the air because we were embarking on a great new business venture that we were individually and collectively stoked about. All of the sudden, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and as I turned to see who was behind me, I heard a very kind voice say, “Excuse me sir, may I ask you a question?” I looked into the eyes of a man whose face could tell you a million stories. I said, “sure, go ahead?”
He said, ” If I tell you a joke and make you laugh, will you give me a dollar?” I found this approach to be very engaging. Think about it for a minute. The gentleman opened the conversation with a polite permission based question. He made great eye contact, smiled and spoke in a pleasant voice. He then used a strategy I have taught my students for years by offering me value before he asked me for money. Not bad, for a beggar on a street corner in Edmonton. Every salesperson could learn from this man’s approach.
I responded, “sure if the joke’s clean go ahead”. He immediately became very animated in his movements. I was shocked as he used great communication skills to tell his joke. This man used voice inflection, cadence changes and planned pauses to deliver the joke with impact. One thing you can’t really teach is timing .. and this man had great comedic timing. Obviously he had mastered his presentation skills. It is safe to assume he had delivered this joke over and over and over until it was second nature to him. Truth be told, it was hilarious and we all burst out laughing when he finished.
At this point, he gently held his hand out with his palm facing the sky as if to say “pay me now.” It was his very sophisticated yet subtle version of a closing question. I reached in my pocket and gave the man a 20 to 1 return on his original request. He had definitely exceeded my expectations in every way. As I handed him the $20.00 he thanked me graciously and wished me a great “rest of the day.” I thanked him for the laugh and the enjoyable experience. As he walked away, I saw him stop and gently tap another business person on the shoulder. When is the best time to close a sale … right after you just closed one.
Gordon, Bruce and I discussed the moment and I told them I would use this story in an upcoming segment of Morning Coffee on paultvlive, our web based Learning Management System. I wish all my students would follow the guiding principles of selling that this man used that day in Edmonton. This man was much more than a “Sophisticated Beggar” ; he was a truly great sales professional.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
What an interesting story! I think we do miss magical moments like this all the time. I love the fact that you took the time to not only learn from this man, but to also share what you learned with the rest of us! Thank you for that!
What an amazing story Paul. I believe we all can learn a lot from that. I think the best part is that nice old man was more confident than most people. He recognized that he had nothing to lose or it could be he attended one of your training classes in the past and understood the power of PDR. LOL… He’s a closer.. Thanks PDC
This is a really great story…. I think you should link it to the woople site under Sales 101. Is that a possibility? It reflects well your teaching style and approach.