Jonathan shares a really smart selling strategy in this video that he observed while on his trip to Italy.
Hey, it’s Jonathan. So it’s been about half a month since I’ve last recorded a video and my wife and I have actually been in southern Italy for the last ten days. We are about to end our trip. We’re actually in Ravello, in southern Italy. In fact, I’m going to show you from my room here, it’s pretty awesome. I don’t know how well you can see that but because it’s been so long since I’ve recorded a video, I’ve been thinking what’s kind of my take-away from the trip?
I was trying to come up with something and the one thing that keeps coming to mind is when we started our trip, we were in Rome and everybody would come up in Rome and they’d be selling you selfie sticks. They’d be selling you something and they’re coming up and trying to push that thing on you and sell you that thing. You’re immediately on the defensive. You’re immediately pushing them away. You can see them coming.
Whereas, as you move south, and this is a broad generalization, I don’t know if this is entirely true but as we’ve moved south, we’ve noticed that the hard sell has sort of gone away and, probably because it’s just a slower pace but here in Ravello, as an example, when you’re walking through the square, which Ravello has been our favorite place, it’s really quiet and calm. But, as you’re walking through the square when you go into a lot of the shops what will happen is, some of the owners will give you a glass of wine or they’ll want you to taste their limoncello, or they’ll want you to try one of their oils or something like that. It’s a totally different experience. So, immediately they’re giving you something. You’re not on the defensive. They did something for you first before they asked something from you. Their ask is, clearly, to buy some wine or buy oil, buy something from their shop. But, it’s a totally different experience. It’s one of reciprocity in a sense where, because you received something first, they gave you something, you almost feel like, gosh, I kind of want to buy something from them. I sort of want to do something for them.
That’s probably the thing, there’s lots and lots of take-aways here, for example, especially in Rome everybody’s really hustling. People are hustling. The drivers, those selling, those working in the shops, it’s interesting. As you move south, a lot of people make their money in six months and then they live for six months because the tourism goes away.
So, again, back to my original point, that one thing that keeps coming to mind is the difference in the selling process. One where you’re being pressured and bombarded and the other where you’re being given something and offered something free where all of the risk is on them. In return, of course they’re hoping you’ll buy but it’s a totally different way to frame it. Great take-away.
