Trophy Room

I am competitive.

When I was a sales person I knew that if I fully informed my customer about the item they were purchasing, and the choices they were making, I could close the sale. If it was important for the customer to save money I found an affordable item to purchase. If they wanted to own an item of the highest quality I was there for them too. And I was always, always honest. My goal was to gain a lifetime client. I was always the top salesperson in any store where I worked.

When I closed the sale I had a question I always asked my customers:

"Do you have any business cards from other salespeople you've met? I collect them."

They were just going to throw them away, and every time I asked they seemed amused to hand them over. As I went through the cards in front of them I said:

"I already have hers," or "I've got plenty of his," and thanked them for allowing me to add to my collection.

Now, I did have a collection. Like I said, I'm extremely competitive--I posted them on a wall and added cards as I got them, and really enjoyed when I beat the same competitor multiple times! But I also didn't want my customers holding onto any of my competitors' business cards.

And there's another reason.

Human's do not like to take expensive chances, or go off on their own when making an important decision. That's what style trends are all about, right: wanting to make sure you dress similar to everyone else. You can stray a little bit from the herd, but people dislike being out of fashion, or being too different. Or buying from someone that no one else buys from. It doesn't feel safe.

By confirming that my customer was doing what plenty of previous customers had also done--bought from me instead of my competitor--I was reinforcing that the customer made the right choice. They weren't alone in buying from me, and that built their confidence in their purchase. It built their confidence that I was the right person to buy from. Asking for business cards is brash...and it's a smart move when we view it through the lens of human behavior.

Plus, did I mention, I'm really competitive?

What do you think? Is this something you'd be willing to try?