In Selling and Courting You Assume and Imagine a Lot

by Zig Ziglar

Selling and courtship do run parallel paths. You guys undoubtedly remember when you were young and single and first started your dating lives. You vividly remember exactly what you planned to say when you approached that pretty little girl about going out with you. You rehearsed it in your mind a thousand times and changed your "sales talk" just as often. However, in your excitement and enthusiasm you visualized her nodding and agreeing after a slight demurral that yes, she would honor you with her presence that evening.

You remember, fellows, how you planned exactly what you were going to wear and exactly what you were going to say when you picked her up. In your mind you vividly painted the picture a thousand times as to how she was going to be dressed, how she would greet you when you arrived for the big occasion. You drew the picture of that initial little squeeze when you extended your hand to her, and how she would smile and say she was glad you had gotten there. You clearly saw yourself opening the front door for her and chatting as you walked out to the car and then opening that door for her. You had already carefully planned where you were going to go and what you were going to do. You planned, or should I said "plotted," how you were going to stretch after you were seated in the theater and let your arm kind of "naturally" end up on the back of her chair and ultimately, "accidentally," end up on her shoulder. Then you were going to pat her a couple of times and leave your arm there (you clever rascal!)

You carefully planned the event after the movie, how you would stop by for a Coke, an ice-cream sundae, or a pizza. You visualized the slow drive back to her home and yes, you visualized, as a result of all your graciousness, wonderful conversation, sparkling personality, enthusiastic appreciation of her, and all the other good things, that you were going to be able to—maybe—on that first date, get a good-night kiss. Yep. You planned it all. You visualized it all. You could seeit happen. You were on a very important sales call.

And girls, with few exceptions you were doing the same thing from your side of the fence (on occasion you do go out with a guy because you have no "better" or "other" offer and going out with Charlie Schmo beats watching TV). For the guy who made your pulse beat faster, you did a little subtle maneuvering as to how you could regularly, "accidentally," be at the same place as your dream guy. You carefully planned exactly what you would say when he asked you out. Then you visualized what you were going to wear and how you would greet him. You visualized how you would respond when he "accidentally" found his arm around your shoulders. You visualized how you would plant those subtle little hints and suggestions through all of the little maneuvers you girls learned at the knees of your mothers. Actually, it's a sales process for the boy and the girl, with the girl being more adept because she, from an early age, learned to think as both a buyer and a seller.

Question: Now that you're selling products, goods, or services, why don't you follow identically the same procedure?

Now let's take the courtship process (as in boy/girl) and translate it into the sales process (salesperson/prospect). In the sales process you need to clearly visualize, memorize, drill and rehearse exactly what you are going to say in the initial approach. You need to visualize the prospect's response. If you are new in selling, the chances are excellent your company has already given you the approach to use and the expected response of the prospect.

In your mind you need to see the prospect responding with a yes you can make your presentation. You need to visualize the presentation as you're going to make it as well as the response of the prospect. You need to see him nodding and agreeing that yes, he does have a problem and yes, your product will solve that problem. You need to visualize him enthusiastically receiving the good news about the service you can render.

Yes, the sales process—like the courtship process—is a visualization procedure. If you think the sales process through and apply the same enthusiasm, imagination, and visualization that you applied on those first few dates you had, I can assure you your sales results will substantially improve.

Throughout the entire process, whether you are "selling" your date or selling your prospect merchandise, you assume the ultimate end result. That's easy and natural in the courtship process, but apparently it has to be relearned in the sales process.

Most proposals are not in the form of "Will you marry me?" and most sales are not in response to "Will you give me an order?" The end results are brought about by a far more subtle assumptive approach. In courtship the suitor, after he has made his presentation, drops little thoughts like, "When we're married we won't have to be in so early," or "Our children will be even prettier than those," or "One of the things I'm going to get you when we're married is _______." The list is endless but the phrases are all aimed at the same target. They are assumptive closes.

Adapted from Secrets of Closing the Sale © 1984 The Zig Ziglar Corporation