You’ve Gotta Get Them in the Door!

During my trip to Israel, a story told by our guide really stuck in my head as a lesson that we must all remember in marketing.  In order to begin to let your prospects get to know you and trust you, “you gotta get them in the door!”  Here is the story that our guide Amos told us about the sales tactics used in the old city of Jerusalem.  While you are wandering the streets, a shop owner will come out and ask you to help him make a sign to post in the window (in whatever language you speak) for a sale, etc…  Then, while you are in their shop “helping” them make a sign, they will get you coffee or tea, then when you are finished, they will offer you 1 earring as a gift for helping them with this task.

Well, we all know that 1 earring does not make a complete gift, (unless you are still one of the men wearing only one earring and now even men are wearing 2 earrings).  So, naturally, you will want the other earring to match, and while you are asking how much for the matching earring, the shop owner will be placing the matching bracelet and necklace on the counter to compliment the purchase.  Now, let me clarify, I am not advocating these sort of sales techniques (we were exposed to so many “tricks” it got quite annoying), but I do want to point out some of the reasoning behind it all, which is quite interesting and can be applied to your business in an ethical way.

First of all, do you notice how the shop owner gets you in the door?

• He appeals to your desire to help others!  Who’s gonna say no when asked to help an innocent shop owner with his language barrier?  I wouldn’t have if I were asked, luckily I wasn’t asked.  I told Amos next time he should let the tourists know these things before their free day, and he acted like we should know to expect those sort of tactics.  I don’t know about you, but to me, it is pretty sneaky.  Next, what did the shop owner do to make you feel obligated to buy something from him?
• He gave you something (coffee or tea while you worked, then 1 earring).  Cialdini’s book Influence, explains our obligation that we feel when we are given something that we need to reciprocate.  Well, this leads us to the “hard close” as he lays the other earring and matching bracelet and necklace side by side on the counter.  The pit I am feeling in my stomach just writing this acknowledges that you will generally feel some need to “pay him back” for his kindness and gifts.  Now remember, we did not ask for anything, which makes it twice as hard.

How can you get some ethical marketing techniques out of something that seems so underhanded?  Well, first of all, people like to help, and people like free stuff.  So, when you offer them a free report in exchange for having them help you by answering a question about their biggest marketing challenge, you allow them to feel as if they have helped, they get good free information, and you get their contact information in order to begin to build a relationship with them.  Everyone wins!  So, use the old city Jerusalem psychology in order to begin building your list, then you “have them in the door” so you can begin building trust and letting your list get to know who you are, this is the beginning of building an empire!

Take some marketing advice from the old city and apply it ethically in your own business!