One morning in 1965 a sales meeting was held at the Jorrie Furniture Company to teach our salesmen how to sell higher priced carpet instead of “bottom-of-the-line” goods.

In that meeting, I asked the Carpet Department Manager, Bob Jack,

“How do you get someone to decide to buy $16/yard goods ...
when they haven’t decided to buy AT ALL?”

I was astonished at his answer .... he said:

“First you have to understand that you can’t sell blue if she wants avocado green …

and you can’t sell her a shag if she wants a plush …

so after you’ve discovered that she wants an avocado green plush …

you take 2 samples of $16/yard avocado green plush and turn them face down, so she can’t see them,

walk over to her and when you are standing next to her, turn them face up and ask

“ Which one of these do you want to buy?”
          and she’ll select one ...
                    and the Sale is made.

LESSON TO BE LEARNED

Sometimes you can get what you want by changing the subject of a conversation from

“whether to buy or not” to “which one of these 2 shall I pick ?”

which ASSUMES a “sale” will happen.

Robert Jorrie, 1969