Chapter 19 Don’t Use Words That Are “Shiny In The Seat”
The other person begins to respond with his first “No.” But try not to give him a chance to be negative. Avoid trite words that mean nothing. Words that are baggy in the knees lose business. Press up your words. Keep the shine off them.
I OFTEN DROP into a drug store to get a malted milk. If the clerk can sell me an egg in it, the store will be 5c more from me, and I will have a fuller, richer drink, which I like. If the clerk has baggy trousers and baggy words, he’ll ignore the good rule of asking leading questions and will perhaps (as they usually do) say rather mildly to me, “Like an egg in it?” I say “No” pretty fast from force of habit. But on another day in another store I ask for a malted milkshake, and the clerk holds an egg in each of his hands and says: “One or two eggs today, sir?” (Wheelerpoint 4.) I look at the two eggs. I find it difficult to say “No” to this question, because “No” will mean nothing. He wants to know whether I want one or two, not whether or not I want any at all. After a moment I say, “Oh, one egg will be enough!” I get the egg, the store gets 5c more, and the average check has gone up! Handling The Dog In The Yard The vacuum cleaner man knows that dogs will run quicker for a salesman with bags in his knees and a shine in his pants. He knows, too, that words that are shiny or have bags swill not help him get by the dog. Therefore, he will ask a neighbor’s child the name of the dog. Armed with this information, he will open the gate cautiously, and address the dog by name, saying, “Hello, Butch, how are you today, Butch? Nice weather, isn’t it, Butch? Is the lady of the house in, Butch?” Butch, the dog, hears his name, a familiar sound to him, and perhaps says to himself: “Guess this fellow has been here before. He seems to know my name. I’ll take a chance and let him on the porch.”
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