What can't be sold on the phone?

When I sold encyclopedias for several months (back when there actually were encyclopedia salesmen), my teacher was a can man of the worst order.
But i learned a great deal about human nature, watching him sell.

To prove a point, one day he told me to listen carefully to the words he said in his presentation. He said he was going to say the most terrible things, and it wouldn't matter...because the prospect was in a sort of a fog, not really listening.

I remember these little gems;

"We buy these books for about two hundred dollars, and then we sell them to people like you for eighteen hundred. So it's quite lucrative for us"

"The books we are taking as a trade in are exactly like the ones you are getting from us, but with a different binding"

"We like to find moochie couples like yourselves, because you are so much easier to sell"

He would have to throw in these statements in the middle of the presentation.....when the prospects were lulled a little.

It was his way to show me that it's mostly tone of voice, body language, and a reassuring manner that sells.

The people were absolutely convinced that they were getting a free set of encyclopedias...except for the three years of $79 payments.

I worked with him for a month or so, and then had to re-do the presentation...to make it ethical. But I have to admit, he sure sold more than I did. But when I sold a set the way he taught me, it would anger me that people were so naive. And I had to stop.

World Book and Encyclopedia Britannica were both fine ethical companies. And they trained their reps to be trustworthy. I went through the Britannica training, just so I could learn better how to sell my own encyclopedias (not really fair to the company)

But the set that I sold? I bought about 52 volumes from the publisher for maybe $180 total. Then I would sell them for about $1,800. and would finance them myself. I had payment books, and my own financing business.