Wednesday, June 6, 2007

MESSAGE #65 - THE #1 SECRET TO SUCCESS

People do not buy with their heads - they buy with their hearts.

A rich Dutch merchant was seeking to buy a diamond of a certain kind to add to his collection. Word got around and Harry Winston, the famous New York diamond salesman, called the man to tell him that he thought he had found exactly the stone he wanted.

The collector flew to New York and was met by the salesman that Winston had assigned to greet him and to handle the transaction. The salesman exhibited the beautiful stone, describing it expertly. The customer listened and praised it, but eventually turned away, saying: "It's a wonderful stone, but it's not exactly what I want."

Winston, who had been watching the interview from a distance, stopped him on the way out. "Do you mind of I show you that diamond once more?" he asked.

The customer agreed. Winston took the stone in his hand. He did not repeat anything the salesman had said. He talked about it as though he were just releasing into words his own genuine admiration of it as a thing of beauty.

Abruptly the customer changed his mind. He bought the diamond. While he was waiting for it to be brought to him, he turned to Winston. "Well," he said, "you sold it to me, but tell me this. Why did I buy it willingly from you when I had no difficulty saying no to your salesman?"

Winston answered: "That salesman is one of the best men in the business. I have no hesitation in saying that he knows more about diamonds than I do. I pay him a good salary for what he knows. But I would gladly pay him twice as much if I could put into him something that I have and that he lacks. He knows diamonds, but I love them."