Chapter 17 Don’t Sell The Sardines – Sell The Somersault *
A grocery chain sells sardines. It increases sales of potatoes. It knows the value of ten-second sales messages. It tells owner benefits. It gives proof. It sells the “sizzle” – not the cow.
SEVERAL YEARS ago I addressed the Cleveland Rotary Club on the subject of “Word Magic.” It is my custom to start my talk with my own ten-second opener to catch the fleeting interest of the audience, so they will forget their desserts, and
stop rattling their forks. I usually say: “What makes people buy things?”
“Have you ever bought a bright re d necktie with a lot of wild-eyed dragons on it, and later on said to yourself, ‘What in thunder did that sales clerk ever say to make me buy such a thing ?’” Now it so happened that Mr. Harry Simms, president of the Cleveland Rotary, was wearing such a necktie that day. The audience laughed considerably, and Mr. Simms began thinking very seriously. He was president of Chandler & Rudd, a chain of quality stores in Cleveland. He invited me to his office after the talk and gave me several problems to solve for him, among which was a need for a plan to sell his higher-priced sardines. They Were Turned Upside Down I analysed his customers and found that they were like those everywhere in the world. When they were shown Rudd sardines and told the price was 25c a can, they would say, “What is the difference between your 25c sardines and the 10c brands sold at the chains?” The Rudd salespeople tried in vain to paint a picture to convince the women that their sardines were better. I analysed both brands. I measured the two kinds of sardines as to length and counted them. Rudd sardines did taste a little better, but it was hard to convey this taste difference quickly to customers. One day I noticed a grocery clerk turning the boxes of sardines upside down on the shelf. I asked him why. He told me that the purpose was to start the oil, which settles in the bottom of the can, seeping through the sardines to keep them from drying up in the cans. He stated, very convincingly, that sardines that were
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