SUBTEXTIf you violate these rules, your subtext will give you away
quickly!YOU'RE THE TOP
One aspect of selling is fund-raising. I have a friend who works
for a large charitable organization as a fund-raiser. "One of our
typical ploys," he confided, "is to find someone interested in our
charity and then give him an honorary title and a dinner. You
want subtext? The subtext of that maneuver is obvious. We send
out invitations in his name to a list of his friends, acquaintances,
and business associates. We charge a lot for the dinner, but it's
for a charity, so people come, and in addition to the food we
offer them some speeches and entertainment."
I frowned. "In effect, you're using him and pressuring his
friends."
My friend nodded. "Exactly! You get the point."
"But why would he let you?"
"Why?" My friend shrugged. "For the best reason. Flattery. It
massages his ego, and he goes ahead cheerfully."
I hadn't thought of flattery as a selling device, but as I talked
to other salespeople, I became aware of how essential a part of
sales it could be. "You can please a prospect with a sincere
smile," the head of a sales institute told me. "But it's even better
to flatter prospects by praising their judgment directly, or by asking
for an opinion on some artistic or political matter. The subtext
you send with your question is a flattering one. 'You know more
than I do.' You value their opinion. Of course, the flattery must
be subtle and indirect. In fact, indirect flattery is the best."
I asked how indirect flattery works. "You can use key phrases
to compliment and flatter. For example: 'What is your idea? What