Chapter 7

TWO LITTLE WORDS THAT TURNED NICKELS INTO DIMES

(The Wheeler X, Y, Z Formula)

I AM THIRSTY and stop at the first drugstore I come to.   I step up to the busy counter, motivated for a drink by the law of self-preservation, for my throat is parched.   I asked a clerk for a Coca-Cola, and he says large or small server?

The store loses a nickel.   I am deprived of a longer moment of refreshment, for like most people I automatically say, small.

A thought suddenly occurred to me: suppose the clerk had merely said, large one?; would I have automatically told him, yes?

I approached Mr. Harry Brown, store manager of Abraham and Strauss of Brooklyn, which has more fountain space under one roof than any other store; and Fred Griffiths, president of the Pennsylvania drugstores in New York.

The experiment was tried out.   Whenever a customer asked for a Coca-Cola, the clerk would say, “Large one?”   Five thousand tests were made and results on our copyrighted “Yes” and “No” Recording System showed that seven out of every ten people replied, “Yes!”   This meant that out of every ten customers the store received $.35 extra business and had more satisfied customers driven to quench their thirst by the law of self-preservation!

Two little words that changed nickels into dimes! 

WHEELER “X, Y, Z” FORMULA 

It doesn't take much persuasion to sell a person when you direct your “Tested Selling Sentences” at their basic buying motives, which are, in their order of importance:

1.       Basic buying motives of self-preservation .   First we must have food, clothing, and shelter for OURSELVES before we can think of others, even our mates.   It is our oldest INSTINCT to look out for ourselves first, and so it is our oldest buying urge.   “X” symbolizes the basic buying motive of self-preservation.

2.   Basic buying motive of romance.   Once we have food, clothing, and shelter, our thoughts turn to leisure, and so comes romance, another natural force in us.   Desire for romance is not only for sex, but also for adventure, travel, and so on.   It is our second strong instinct in our second basic buying motive.   “Y” symbolizes the basic buying urge of romance.

3.  Basic buying motive of money .   With money we know we can purchase security; it gives us the knowledge that we can have food, clothing, shelter, and romance at will, whenever we so desire.   Money being our third strongest instinct, it is our third biggest buying motive. “Z” is the symbol of the money-buying motive.

There are, of course, many other buying motives, as any copywriter or sales manager will tell you quickly - but the 105,000 selling statements in our library indicate that you can sell 85% of your prospects with just these three simple buying motives because they are so basic!

Memorize this X, Y, Z Formula.   You'll find its simplicity an important part of its effectiveness.   Don’t complicate selling too much with too many rules or principles.

THE PROSPECTS “MENTAL POCKETBOOKS”

Inside the prospects Brain are these three basic buying motives, three mental pocketbooks.   You must unlock them first before the brain will tell a prospects hand to reach down into his pants pocket and get the physical purse.

What is most important to remember is that these three mental pocketbooks are not in the logical front part of the prospects mind but are buried deep in the emotional back part of the brain.   You must fashion your words so that they will fly past the prospects cold reasoning, his logical front mind, and move, emotionally, his real basic buying urges in the depth of his brain. 

THE “DESIRE” AND “FEAR” SELLING "SIZZLES” 

Two strong forces that motivate the three “mental pocketbooks” in the prospects mind are (1) fear and (2) desire.   If we fear for our health, we are prompted to respond to medical advertisements address to our pet worry; and we respond to statements in advertisements about Florida or California, where health is supposed to be available under every palm tree (X).

If we desire to end money worries and become financially secure, we find ourselves listening to insurance men, bankers, or gold-brick sellers, provided they play upon our desire for money (Z).

If we bought from the logical front part of our minds, we would quickly reason the gold brick seller, or the man with Brooklyn Bridge to turn over to us, or the old medicine man, or the circus barker.

Since we buy not from cold logic but from emotional urges, we respond to all forms of statements designed to motivate are three basic buying motives, and we are quick to reach for our cash when we read are here:

“Corns gone in five days or your money back.”   (X)

“How to be the life of the party.”   (Y)

“End money worries quickly.   (Z)

“Free roller skates.”   (Y)

“No down payment necessary.” (Z)

“Be an executive while still young.”   (X, Y, Z)

“Removes every trace of dandruff.   (Y)

We won't admit that we buy emotionally -- but we do!   That fact must never be lost sight of, nor the fact that the same emotional urges that made Caesar buy, if sufficiently basic, will make your next customer buy! 

SELLING BUTTONLESS UNION SUITS

The greatest desire every mother is to be relieved from some of her daily tasks, such as dressing and undressing Little Willie five times a day (X).   Realizing this, I had a young lady in Saks 34th Street one day, at the suggestion of H. L. Redman, President, experiment with selling sentences to promote the sale of a new buttonless union suit.   Of over 30 different selling ““sizzles” in the garment, the one that sold the garments, which incidentally cost $.25 more than those with buttons, was:

The little boy can put it on all by himself!

That single sentence gave the mother a desire she had always dreamed about, and it is basic enough to sell the suits to any mother with a $.25 extra to spend. 

SELLING EXPENSIVE SAFETY PINS  

The fear of every mother -- and of women who are not mothers -- is to have a safety pin burst open at the wrong moment and stab the wearer (X)   Therefore, Saks clerks sold handfuls of safety pins the cost five cents more per package than most on the market, by this single sentence:

They won't burst open in the garment and cause injury!

Another worry -- and also a desire of mothers -- is to have diapers that won't chafe or cause injury to their children (X), and when the form fitting diapers came out, they sold when the Saks clerks used this “Tested Selling Sentence”:

They are form fitting, and require only one safety pin!

SELLING SHADOW-PROOF SLIPS

A desire and a need of women, especially in the South where there is plenty of sunlight and wide streets, is for a slip that is constructed in such a manner that it is concealing even in the strongest sun glare (X). This problem was solved by several manufacturers long before the clerks began to dramatize the “sizzle” to the women rather than consume time talking about the fine needlework.

When the Hecht Company got behind the idea, and every sale was started with this single sentence, sales of the slips increased 60%, according to the case record in our files.   The sentence was simply this:

It is shadow -- proof even on sunniest days!

This is another example of self -- preservation, the X portion of the Wheeler formula. 

ROMANCE (“Y”) SELLS FURNITURE 

After every regular sale in the Hecht Company I had the salespeople one summer take the women shoppers to a comfortable lounging chair and say:

This is our new napping chair.

When the women inquired what a napping chair was, the salespeople would say:

It is scientifically constructed to allow the head to rest comfortably, making napping a real pleasure.   Try it.

Mr. Charles Dulcan, vice president, stated that sales increased about 10% in this item during this single sentence “drive”.

COCKTAIL LAWN SWINGS ARE SOLD

One time when Mr. James Rotto, former sales promotion manager of the Hecht Company, noticed lawn swings not selling very well, he called us in from our branch word laboratory constructed in the store, and set us to work digging up ““sizzles”.

After little research, it was discovered that these lawn swings had an arm that would hold cocktail glasses without spilling the contents, or causing them to fall off and break.   When this one “sizzle” was called to the attention of customers, they lost interest in the less expensive and advertised showings and started to buy these.   This is one “sizzle” that brought salespeople five dollars more per customer and brought added enjoyment to customers.

The romantic urge of a cocktail -- --!   (Y)

The desire to have a drink convenient, the fear of breaking the glass, a basic selling sentence that works!   Try it sometime! 

SELLING ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS  

Completing some of the other outstanding examples at the Hecht Company, let me sum up how seven hundred extra electric light bulbs were sold one July by the simple sentence:

It will make the new shade even prettier!   (Y)

And 20 out of a hundred people shopping in Sears, Roebuck in Cleveland, according to Jack North of the Electrical League, but when this simple sentence was used as an opening wedge:

Are you in the kitchen much, Madam?

When the customer asked why, the salesperson advised a 100 or 150-watt lamp because, “You can read the smallest print in the cookbook.” (X)

The mousetrap will ALWAYS spring at the psychological moment if you paid it with the right ““sizzles” -- those that fly by the cold logic of the customer and move him emotionally!

When the Paris Garter people wanted to sell suspenders, they created one that would not slide off the shoulder.   According to Joseph M. Krauss, they used the single sentence, “Can't skid OFF your shoulders,” and went from third place in the industry to first!

Don't forget these three basic buying motives: self -- preservation (X), romance (Y), and Money (Z).   They'll make money for you, if you let them

Remember that the heart is closer to the customer's pocketbook than is his brain!

The Selling Word Is Mightier Than the Price Tag.

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