Hold the Puppy

The other day my wife and I went into a local car dealership to do some window shopping regarding getting a new car. We had no intention of buying anything that day. We were just there to look. As soon as we walked through the day a salesperson attached himself to us and instantly became our new best friend. Within minutes we were being walked around the lot, checking out the kind of vehicles in which we were interested. After some back-and-forth, we finally identified one particular car we would not mind taking home - if we were of a mind to do so that day. It was at this point - as if he was thinking of this for the first time - the salesperson said, "How about taking the car out for a drive."

Looking back, as soon as we said, "yes," and got behind the wheel of the car, the chances of our not agreeing to purchase the car pretty much went out the window. As we were driving around, running a few errands, and enjoying the ride in this new model, my wife and I acknowledged that we were going to make this purchase. I made the observation that letting us take the car for a spin was akin to going to an animal shelter or pet store to look at dogs and having one of the workers say, "Hey, why don't you at least hold this puppy." Once you have the critter in your arms and it is being as adorable as all puppies are, what are the odds of you going home without it?

Without question, enabling people to gain first-hand experience, as the salesperson did with us and the car, is a powerful strategy. In quick fashion, it helped my wife and I envision having this vehicle as part of our every day lives to the point where we turned that image into reality. Generally, such a strategy works wonders when it comes to communicating effectively. In fact, I have no doubt such a strategy is one all salespeople attempt to implement dozens of times every day. The more any of us can do to help our audiences actually experience what we are attempting to put forward, the more receptive they will be to our perspective.