Sales lesson from a vegetable peeler may seem a bit crazy.

Why would you, a Spa and Salon owner, give two hoots about a vegetable peeler?

All too often we expect our new customers and even our loyal clients just to buy whatever it is we are trying to sell to them.   We tell them what the product is or what the service is, we fail to explain to them or show them “how” the product or service will benefit them.  How will it make them feel? What benefits will it provide?  Do the products and services we offer solve a pain, fill a need or a want?

Watch this video of Joe Ades (pronounded AH-des), one of the greatest pitch men In New York City. He made $$ millions selling potato peelers on the street.  (See his “technique” and how you can implement it in your business.)

Joe lived on Park Avenue, sipped champagne in lofty hotel bars and wore thousand dollar suits to his street corner to hawk $5 peelers.

His pitch lasted about 5 minutes and includes every element of a sale you need to convert your prospects into customers.

My copywriting mentor, Kevin Roger breaks this down beautifully.  Kevin’s breakdown of the video relates to internet marketing.  Then we will discuss how you can apply it to your business when it comes to “selling” what you have to offer. You will see my thoughts highlighted in blue.

1. Stop traffic. Once a small crowd has gathered Joe waves his audience in closer as a “courtesy” because it “saves me shouting.” He promises, “I won’t ask you for money” to differentiate himself from the panhandlers in the streets of New York City. (And technically he does not ask for money, he asks for a sale.)

You can use this when driving traffic to your offers by promising something of value for visiting your site. Tease curiosity with headlines like, “Exposed: How An Old Man With A Funny Accent Made A Million Dollars Selling Potato Peelers On A NYC Sidewalk”

*In your Spa and Salon this is great to use when you want to generate a greater open rate!  It’s about the headline…peak their interest, provoke curiosity.

2. Show your credentials. Notice that Joe surrounds himself with proof of his credentials; his Daily News article is on display, as is his feature article in Vanity Fair and a photo of his appearance on the Today Show. This makes the audience feel safe and provides Joe celebrity status.

You can use this on your website by displaying legitimate credentials about you and your business via testimonial blurbs, endorsements and “As Seen On” icons.

*Hang all of your and employee Certificates. Post all of your media on your website and/or blog, hang articles in your business.

3. Big action opener. Once the audience is close, Joe doesn’t waste time making hyped-up promises or small talk, he just gets right to work demonstrating what his product does and why it matters to his prospects.

You can use this in your pitch by launching straight into a video that shows your product in action. Once you’ve won your prospect’s attention, you can begin to drill down the finer benefits.

*When I had my first Spa/Salon, I only offered Aveda products.  Aveda teaches that the smell and the touch matter.  So it was important to open the product, immediately put some on the back of their hand and while they rub it in…we educate them as to the benefits of the product and how it will affect them in such a wonderful way.  “The scent, the silky smooth feel, how quickly it absorbs, how it will quickly soothe and heal your hard working hands…”  (I sold a lot of Hand Relief!)

4. Describe the tangible benefits. Joe knows his product will appeal to busy moms, so he says, “You do that with the kids, they’ll eat their vegetables.” There’s another brilliant example of some “beyond benefits” a minute or so later when Joe explains that if you fry potatoes and drink red wine like the French, “You’ll live forever, you’ll never die.”

You can use this by thinking through how each benefit of your product can have a positive effect on life for your prospects beyond the obvious.

*How about hosting a Special Event, or a monthly informal educational ‘get together’ to showcase a specific product or service, bring in an expert from the company you purchase the products to speak and provide a demonstration, record the demo and play it in the waiting area or post it on your website and/blog.  If possible, you could have a CD made that showcases all of your services and products with snippets of how each will benefit your clients.

5. Use humor to bond with your audience. “Doesn’t matter if you’re right handed, left handed, or like a politician — under-handed.” This is masterful use of the humor as bonding tool. It furthers Joe’s “man of the people” credentials even though he was a millionaire living on Park Ave.

You can use this with your audience by finding a common enemy to poke fun at, but keep it lighthearted unless your market is extreme in its beliefs.

*Simply state how “easy” it is.  Your clients want quick and easy!

6. Show the dreadful alternative. Joe holds up the common potato peeler most of us have in our kitchen drawer and says, “You can’t slice potatoes like that with one of these things.” This simple reference to the norm makes what we’ve been using to peel potatoes feel desperately inferior and creates a sudden urgency to replace a utensil that was far from our minds just two minutes earlier.

You can use this by pitting the way your prospects typically do things against how life could be if they were armed with your product or service.

*Just as Kevin states, show them how your products or services how your way is a better alternative that what they have been doing an using. Of course, without making them feel they have been doing something completely wrong.  Just that what you offer will make their life so much easier.

7. It’s easy for anyone to use. Joe hands the peeler to an audience member and has her glide it across a carrot. This gives the audience “social proof” that it isn’t just Joe’s prowess with the tool that makes it so effective.The thing really works!

You can use this online by showing video testimonials of people bragging about how great your product works for them.

*TESTIMONIES!!!!! Let your new prospective customers know what your clients love about your products and services!  By getting and displaying testimonies of “others,” people will believe them a whole lot more than you.  After all, you are trying to sell them something!  The testimonies give the new customers the confidence that they are making the right choice when choosing your spa or salon.  Testimonies should be on your website, on brochures, in your advertising, in a binder in your waiting area, and even framed and hung on a wall.

8. Reveal “the catch?” Here Joe says, “There’s no trick there’s no skill, but you must use at least six slices.” The caveat is hardly a deal breaker, however by revealing it and adding in the word “but…” you know he’s giving you the truth, making it easy to give him your trust.

You can use this by looking for a place to reveal a small flaw or caveat to your product’s magic and exposing it to build trust.

*Well this is a given…always tell the truth!  Let me explain how I used this technique.  One of the services I offered were mineral body wraps.  I did use radio to bring in new clients and the inch loss benefit was the focus of these commercials.  When someone would ask, “Is this permanent?” I would simply say, “No, that would be great, but not even liposuction is permanent if you don’t follow the rules after the procedure.”  I would continue…”a body wrap, besides the other benefits, is a great ‘jump start’ to any weight loss program or lifestyle changes as it will actually tone and tighten your skin and your clothes will fit looser after the wrap.”  Then, “the results will last longer if you follow my after wrap instructions, but you are also benefiting from the ingredients in the body wrap product.” “Now because you will feel great after the wrap, you will be more motivated to continue on your program to lose weight or whatever the reason you wanted a body wrap and getting them periodically will get you to your goal faster, but we will talk about that once you see and feel the difference after the wrap.” 

That is the gist of it, but I do tell them up front, no.  This way I gain their trust and I am then able to explain all of the other great benefits they are receiving because of the mineral body wrap.

9. Close with a flurry of benefit bullets. Now that the demo is complete, the proof is shown and the trust is established, it’s time to open the cash register. As Joe pulls out his big bankroll (more proof that the product is popular) he shouts a litany of features and benefits to knock his prospects off the fence…

“They’re made in Switzerland, they’re not made in China.”
“They’re made of stainless steal, they cannot rust.”
“They’re dishwasher safe and I promise you they never need sharpening.”

You can use this by listing the biggest benefits beside or underneath your order button and again on the order form itself.

*Now I am not saying you need to show them your bank statement or open your cash register!  You do need to list benefits of the products and services to show how what you offer will help them.   Such as…. This product is made with all natural products, it will not harm you.  Or our products are all made here in the USA under strict manufacturing guidelines.  Find at least two of these to use in your pitch.

10. Squash common objections. “And if anyone thinks that’s a special one, you can have that one, I’ll use another one.” Clearly a response to 15 years of skeptical New Yorkers insisting that Joe is shooting with “loaded dice”. He knows it’s on the mind of certain prospects, so he squashes it with a quick line.

You can use this by adding FAQ section to your sales page to tackle common objections.

*Gather your most frequently asked questions from your clients and list them with the answers on a page on your website. 

11. Special offer pricing. Joe offers “one for $5 or five for $20”. But notice how he builds to the special offer with his phrasing, “They’re five dollars each, they’re worth every penny, they last a lifetime. You can get two for ten, four for twenty and a lot do — you’ll get one free.”

You can use this by thinking of ways to create special offer pricing, just be careful that it doesn’t diminish the original value you’ve worked to establish.

*Joe doesn’t offer a discount.  He doesn’t tell you that you will get $5 off if you by 5 peelers.  He simply states that if you give him $20 you will get on FREE!  That is a special offer, not a discount.  So here is an example of what I would do.  If they booked a manicure and a pedicure I would include a FREE bottle of the color of polish that was used.  Or if they booked a facial, I would include a FREE eyebrow shaping.  Even though I would be “losing” the cost of the bottle of polish or the eyebrow shaping, it give them value instead of a discount.  This is so important as giving discounts and lowering your prices will eventually lower you out of business!

12. Create emotional urgency and justify with logic. “And why would anybody want five peelers if they last a lifetime?” Joe asks, “Cuz you’ve got four friends that’s why.” Then he reminds us that the holidays are coming up and punches the offer with, “you not only save a lot of money, you save a lot of time looking for gifts.” Brilliant.

You can use this by getting your prospects to think about how much the people in their life would benefit from the product and how they’d be a hero for showing up with one as a gift.

*Referrals. This is about referrals and asking your clients to bring in their family, friends and business associates who would love what you have to offer in your business.  Just like Joe suggests that they need four more peelers because they have friends!  Buying only one would make them look like they don’t have any…smooth move, Joe!  Suggesting these people buy more than one just upped Joe’s profits for the day.  He didn’t need more people because those people have people!  Building your business with referrals is quicker, smarter and less expensive that trying to continually attract new customers. 

Have you requested my FREE Video Series yet?  If not, please do so as I give you a few of my referral strategies that I used to grow my businesses.  Go ahead, just fill out the request form at the top right of this page.

13. Keep selling through the sale. As Joe furiously collects cash and hands out peelers, listen to how he runs through his credentials to nudge people over the fence and help them justify their emotional decision to buy…

“Fifteen years I’ve been selling the same thing.”
“1994 I was in the Daily News.”
“Three years ago, Vanity Fair. Julia Roberts on the cover and me in the middle.”
“Best $5 you’ll ever spend.”
“You can’t buy anything in this country that’s made in Switzerland for five dollars… A Swiss Army knife is nearly $100.”
“They don’t make cheap things in Switzerland, they make good things.”

and my favorite line… “You’re not buying these because they’re cheap, you buy ‘em because they’re good and they work.”

*This is all about YOUR CREDIBILITY.  The credibility of your products, your services and even your staff.  People need to know why they need to do business with you.  What are your credentials? What makes you credible? Oh, and by the way…it is always a plus when you have CELEBRITY CREDIBILITY! 

Do celebrities use the products that you offer?  Do any of your services get rave reviews by any celebrity?  Are you a celebrity…have you been featured on local news, in a television series, or been honored in some way…anything to give you celebrity status!

This is what I may say:

• Licensed professional 15 years in the beauty industry.

• Trained nationally and internationally over 70 spa and salon owners to add products and services.

• Been on and behind the scenes on top rated television shows.

• Offer products and services that are coveted by celebrities to maintain their “Red Carpet Ready” looks.

Make it a priority to see how you can use CREDIBILITY in your pitch and in all of your marketing efforts. 

Four minute pitch, five dollar product, fifteen years of success, over a million in sales.

Proof that making sales can be easy when you believe in your product and you’ve got the right pitch.

When is the last time you witnessed a master salesperson in action? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

This video and the break down is courtesy of one of my mentors,  Kevin Rogers,  an A-List online copywriter and sales messaging coach, you can get more great tips here www.thecopywritersedge.com

Now would be a great time to restructure your script(s) as to what you say about the products and services you offer.  

Remember EACH product and service stands on its own.  So it is important to be able to establish a “pitch” for each one.    Now, of course, you may not be able to demonstrate each and every service or product you offer, so you may want to host “Seminars” or “Special Client Events” to showcase a few products or a specific service and follow this exact example that Joe gives us.  

It is important that your staff know the “pitch” for the service they are providing.  Truly, it is all about educating the client, showing them how what you have to offer has the benefits they are looking for and being able to show credibility of you, your products, services and even your staff with credibility. 

Celebrating Your Success,