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If you've ever taken a train, you know that almost every train has a few direct salespeople hawking products. They make their pitch right after the train departs and again just before arrival. Often, we find them annoying and noisy, especially when we don't need what they're selling, and we wish they'd just go away.
However, we should indeed admire their professionalism. Regardless of passengers' reactions, they always shout loudly, keep a straight face, and persist, even if their voices become hoarse—they take a sip of water and continue their pitch. Our terminal sales staff should learn from the train vendors' dedication and sales skills.
Below is a case I personally encountered, which I'd like to share. Watch how this train vendor quickly and crazily closed sales.
Here is the sales script the vendor used during his first pass, as compiled by Bingfa Marketing:
"Please pay attention, we're now interrupting with a commercial (humor). Those familiar with chamois cloths know they are extremely effective. Let me give you a brief introduction. This chamois cloth was the designated product for the national diving team at the 2008 Olympics, 2010 Asian Games, and 2011 Universiade (authority endorsement). Its biggest feature is its super absorbency (one-sentence selling point). A beautiful woman with long, flowing hair—after washing, her hair won't dry for a while. In winter, it's especially cold, and in summer, she might catch a chill and get a cold, right? (Raises a problem, evokes empathy)
In such cases, to dry faster, we usually use a hairdryer. For a woman with long hair, it takes about ten minutes to dry (points out the time-consuming weakness of the alternative—digging a pit). Moreover, using a hairdryer can easily make hair yellow, split, and break (points out the alternative's weaknesses—digging a pit, fear marketing), right? It's really annoying, isn't it? If you use this chamois cloth, the effect is completely different. It will dry hair that wouldn't dry in ten minutes within one minute. Its drying speed is more than ten times that of a hairdryer (highlights the target product's time-saving benefit—filling the pit, solving the problem).
You might be skeptical if you've never used it or don't know about it, thinking it's hard to believe, right? It's okay not to believe! As the old saying goes, 'True gold fears no fire; a good product fears no on-the-spot test.' So, good things are not afraid of testing! Now, let me do a demonstration!
(First demonstration) Here is a cup of water, brought from the restroom. Now, I'll do a demonstration! This is a small blanket. I'll pour the water into this basin and soak the blanket completely. As everyone knows, once such a blanket gets wet, it's hard to dry. In summer, you'd need to wring it out and then sun-dry it for a day; in rainy weather, you'd need to hang it for several days (raises a problem, evokes empathy). If you use this chamois cloth, it will be a different story. To absorb the water, you only need to use it two or three times, and it will be completely dry. Now, I'll use the chamois cloth to absorb it. Please watch as I wrap the blanket in the cloth. I said it only takes two or three times, so now I'll do it once. First, I'll wring it out. You can see there's a lot of water dripping out.
You can use it to dry quilts, blankets, clothes, etc., at home (while talking, he squeezes the cloth). Now, let me open it and show you the result. Please pay attention—the moment of truth is here. I'll open it so you can feel it. Come, friends, just extend your noble hands and feel it—see if it's dry (let them see and touch for themselves).
The purpose of this demonstration was to prove the chamois cloth's super absorbency and verify its drying speed is ten times that of a hairdryer. Are there still friends who doubt its absorbency?
If you still have doubts, that's fine! I'll do an even more intense demonstration. What will it be? As I said, its hair-drying speed is ten times that of a hairdryer. Now, I'll do a hair-drying demonstration.
Is there any long-haired beauty willing to participate? If your hair is long and gets wet, it takes a long time to dry. I guarantee I can make your hair completely dry within one minute. Is there any beauty willing to wet her hair to test it? (Interactive) It's okay if you don't want to participate. It seems you cherish your hair (evokes empathy). Then I'll do the demonstration myself. Our men's hair is shorter—how long do you think it takes to blow-dry? I guarantee I can make my wet hair completely dry within ten seconds. Now, please watch—front, back, big eyes, small eyes—please look at the big screen, live broadcast (humor). I'll wet my hair thoroughly. You can see water dripping. Now I'll use the chamois cloth to dry it! Please count with me: 'One, two... ten' (captures attention, involves the audience). Look—the hair that was dripping is now completely dry. For hair like mine, if you use a hairdryer after washing, it takes at least a few minutes. With our chamois cloth, it takes just a few seconds to dry completely.
Additionally, the chamois cloth protects your hair quality well, unlike a hairdryer which can cause yellowing, split ends, and breakage. Using the chamois cloth avoids these problems (fills the pit, solves the hairdryer issue).
I've just done another very intuitive demonstration. If you still have doubts, I have a very simple suggestion: there's water at both ends of the car, so you can do the test yourself on the spot. If there's a problem, you can find me right here. I like two types of customers: one is the repeat customer who has bought and used it—as the saying goes, 'Gold cup, silver cup, not as good as the people's praise'—and the other is the customer who immediately does the test themselves.
Moreover, if you use our chamois cloth for two or three years and it gets old, you can cut it into small pieces with scissors and use them as rags to wipe your car, table, or glass (turning waste into treasure, proposing new uses, finding new competitive points). You know, when you use ordinary towels or rags at home to wipe your car, table, or glass, they leave lint and fluff, right? They leave water spots and streaks, right? They leave scratches, right? You can use the chamois cloth to wipe your appliances like refrigerators and washing machines—it leaves no lint, no water spots, no streaks, and no scratches!
If you cut it even smaller, you can use it as a dishcloth—it doesn't hold grease! After washing dishes, you just rinse it with clean water, and it's immediately clean. Unlike our household rags and towels that need laundry detergent and a washing machine, this one just needs a rinse.
Our chamois cloth was the designated product for the national diving team at the 2008 Olympics, 2010 Asian Games, and 2011 Universiade. Let me show you a picture (a picture with Guo Jingjing). Everyone knows this picture. Our chamois cloth was chosen as the designated product because it's very soft, highly absorbent, and protects skin and hair. It's now being heavily promoted and is available in supermarkets and malls (again dispelling concerns).
The chamois cloths sold in supermarkets and malls are very expensive—a large one costs 40-60 yuan! That's through regular channels. We buy directly from the factory, and the factory is reducing profits for promotion to increase publicity, so the price is especially favorable: a large one is 25 yuan. Additionally, there's a small one, which is half the size of the large one. What's the small one for? For example, women can use it to remove makeup, and men can use it to wipe sweat—it doesn't leave a sweat odor. The small one is 15 yuan. So, a set of one large and one small is 40 yuan (establishing a price advantage)!
Also, don't rush! I have more good news, and it's very important, so please listen carefully! To thank you for your continued understanding and support, our train conductor has negotiated a special promotion: the first 6 customers in each car get a 10-yuan discount. So, the 40-yuan set is now 30 yuan for the first 6 customers!
(Justified discount, creating scarcity)
Now, I'll pass the chamois cloths around for you to see! (Hands out products for customers to feel)
Also, men on board can bring a set for their wives or relatives, and women can bring one for their husbands or relatives (expanding demand)! For example, this long-haired beauty needs a large one—it can wrap her hair (guiding demand). How to wrap? First, make a loop, twist it twice, put it over your head, then roll your hair up—it will dry very quickly. You can move around freely, and your hair will be dry within a minute. It's very convenient and practical (giving instructions, live demonstration, letting customers imagine). Now, take a look, and if you need one, let me know!"
Within a few minutes, the train vendor sold nearly 10 sets of chamois cloths.
Here's what happened when the vendor came around a second time:
Early the next morning, the vendor returned, but this time without the large bag—just a few chamois cloths. He said, "The train is about to reach the terminal. These are the last 5 sets, and the price is reduced to 25 yuan per set. Please take advantage of this final opportunity (price reduction, creating scarcity)!" The 5 sets sold out quickly, but surprisingly, there was still demand. The vendor then went to another car and brought back a larger bag full of products (the earlier scarcity was deliberately created).
Throughout the entire process, the vendor never once mentioned the brand of the chamois cloth, yet he achieved remarkable sales results. Let's summarize the "Three Moves and Six Tactics" for crazy sales:
Three Moves:
Speech, not debate: Speech conveys information through "acting" and "speaking." Adding a bit of humor is even better. Passengers are usually bored, so a little humor to liven the atmosphere will make them less resistant. If terminal salespeople debate with customers, they might win the debate but lose the sale and the order.
On-site experience is visible: Through live demonstrations, you increase authenticity and even let customers participate, allowing them to see and touch the product and truly feel its function. If you have comparison tests with alternatives and use multiple methods, it's more persuasive.
Price inducement and scarcity creation: The most competitive point of train vendors' products is the low price. By explaining that they buy directly from the factory and are promoting heavily, they justify why the price is lower than retail in supermarkets and malls, making it believable and not giving the impression of poor quality or leftover stock. They create scarcity first by offering 30 yuan per set only to the first 6 customers, and then again by saying only 5 sets remain, deeply inducing purchases.
Six Tactics:
- Open with humor and briefly introduce the product's selling points.
- Point out the disadvantages of alternatives to evoke empathy in potential customers.
- Conduct multiple on-site demonstrations, letting customers experience and participate, verifying the product's selling points and solving problems with alternatives.
- Use brand endorsements (Olympics, Asian Games, Universiade diving team) to guarantee the product, giving confidence and dispelling doubts.
- Extend functions (multi-functional explanation), turn waste into treasure (old cloths become rags), and expand demand (gift for wife, husband, relatives).
- "Price comparison and scarcity creation" as the final push, scoring the winning goal for crazy sales.
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