Too late he realised
His chance to read
Terms and conditions
Had passed
Holding the contract
While still holding the smile
Mirroring the other's
on leaving
It rarely fails
This Salesman's Spell
When they've said Yes thrice
They'll sign
The handshake of the salesman
Leaves a warm impression
But unlike the signature
Soon fades
~
n.b. NaPoWriMo 2022 Day Nineteen prompt: start with a command. Here it is in the title.
With thanks to DL for the title, taken from his summary of a job in his youth selling franking machines to small businesses in Essex.
The Sales (person’?) Spell is based on the human wish to be liked. If someone is able to elicit three consecutive positive answers, then a fourth agreement is highly likely to follow. For example after offering to take you for a test drive, despite having a busy day, you may be asked: This is a really spacious vehicle, isn’t it? Is fuel economy important to you? Can you see this vehicle impressing your colleagues?
Concluding with: Shall we step into the office and look at the payment plan?
Honest, unguarded responses to questions, betraying the buyer’s intentions are most commonly given while attention is split. For example, preparing to turn across on-coming traffic, or waiting for traffic lights to change.
You can find this stuff out for yourself, of course, by digging around on the ‘Net. It has its roots in the Ben Franklin Effect.
CLP 20/04/2022
Journey of Words 