Chapter 15 Making ‘Em Hit The Sawdust Trail For You
Back to that old fear appeal again. The pastor says, “You will go to Hell!” The quack s ays, “It will prevent fallen arches, and premature old age.” The old medicine man with his Indian stooge knew how to play on your fears with his swamp root tonic. A VACUUM CLEANER salesman is working hard in Mrs. Jones’ home. He has produced eight small piles of dirt from her rug. He knows the woman is becoming nervous and embarrassed by the sight of the dirt he is able to get from her rug. He puts her at ease by saying, “Don’t let this dirt embarrass you, Mrs. Jones. Wherever I use this wonderful machine it digs dirt, because only this machine has patented Grit Removers that get the dirt below the surface, out of reach of ordinary cleaners. Why only this morning at Mrs. Smith’s home I got sixteen piles of dirt!” That puts her at ease. She has eight piles less than Mrs. Smith has! The salesman notices Mrs. Jones’ children. He plays on her fear for her children’s health by saying, “Where do your children play on rainy days, Mrs. Jones?” “In the house, of course,” she replies to the leading question, wond ering. “Then this is your child’s rainy day playground, Mrs. Jones!” he says, pointing to the eight piles of dirt! Gracious – she hadn’t realized that this dirt pile was her child’s “rainy day playground” – his “indoor sand piles.” Those were “dynamite words.” They EXPLODED inside her with a bang – because they were pre-tested! “Hell” – Once World’s Greatest Fear Appeal After my talk recently before the Buffalo Rotary Club, a well-known pastor approached me and said, “We used to keep people coming to church on Sunday with the word ‘Hell,’ but today it has lost its effectiveness.” How true. The word “Hell” has become trite. It once stood for brimstone and fire. But it does no more.
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