The Mind of the Buyer

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(^102) T H E M IN D O F T H E BUYE R
To achieve thi s kin d o f definiteness is a
difi cul t ta sk. Ou r la zy h uma n natu re temp ts
u s t o foll ow th e lin e of l ea st re sis ta nce and to
us e gene ral te rm s. We a re p ron e to desc rib e
a ll things with th e sam e w o rds : “ won de rful , ”
“ grea t bargain,” “ imm en se savin g. ” Th ese
a re not desc ri p tive w o rd s a t all ; th ey give n o
hin t o f the na ture o r quali ty o f t h e a rticl e.
Th ey m ay with eq ual p e rtinency be applie d
to a h o use an d l o t, a n a u tom obil e, a p ai r of
gl oves, a block o f oil stock.
On e expla na tion of o ur p ro nene ss towa rd
th e use of gen e ral , in defini te term s i s th e
pove rty o f o ur voc ab ula ries. We h ave not
fo rm e d th e h abit of usi ng words of va riety
sufficie n t fo r th e design a tion of fi ne sh a des
of m eanin g. Th e rem edy i s obvi ous ; devel op
a full an d exact vocabula ry. In desc ribing
a c omm odi ty, search o ut words which fi t i t
exa ctly a nd which represen t it s va ried quali
tie s vivi dly i n th e min d of th e b uye r.
(^4). Ima ge s m ay b ring st rong feelings i n
th ei r trai n. This i s e sp ecially true o f infre
q uent b ut. unusually vivi d images. In en
ci rclin g th e sal e with plea san t fe elin gs a s
rec om men de d i n Ch ap te r V I, th e sell e r may
use th ese wi th grea t p rofi t. Th ere a re ce rt ain
ima ge s th at generally bri ng pl ea san t feelings

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