Page 36 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

“What do you think of that?” he asks his prospect, who in this case is the
proprietor of a small meat market.
“It looks good,” the butcher replies after looking at the colored advertisement
for several minutes. “But I can’t afford an expensive slicing machine such as
that. It costs too much.”
“But you need one, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I’m not doing very much business and can’t afford to lay out a lot
of money for a slicing machine.”
Conrad smiles, goes out to his car, brings in a sample machine, hooks it up
behind the counter, and requests the butcher (who is still protesting that he
can’t afford it) to try the machine.
“Like it?” Conrad asks after a few minutes. “Certainly, but I simply can’t pay
. . .”
“I understand. This machine is a low-priced slicer, however, and looks and
works just like the expensive ones. Guaranteed too. How much could you
afford to pay in cash for a slicer?”
The butcher shakes his head. “The way business is, I couldn’t go over $10.”
“Well, if you can pay that much get out your money,” is Conrad’s standard
reply. “This slicer will cost you only $7.50.”
This is typical of the interviews Conrad has with grocers, butchers, and
proprietors of lunchrooms, restaurants, delicatessens and taverns when he
calls with his hand-slicing machine. It is this approach which is responsible
for his averaging $75 a week for the past two years.
“This slicer looks like an expensive machine that costs a lot of money,”
declares Conrad. “It is a sturdy, rotary type slicer with a stainless steel blade
adjustable to any thickness, so that it will slice ham as thin as tissue paper, or
bread any thickness you desire. Before this came out, though, the average
grocer and delicatessen proprietor had to pay around $150 for a slicing
machine. Naturally, when they see this one, which looks every bit as good as
the expensive machine and is quite as satisfactory, it is hard for them to
believe it’s not an expensive outfit. I let them think that. I let them build up as
much resistance as they want toward paying a big price. Then, when I’ve
finally got them to make a demonstration and admit the machine is good, I
crash this opposition with the low-price offer. And I seldom lose a sale.”
To those who like to sell to stores, a good slicing machine offers a real
money-making opportunity. Conrad’s commission on each sale is two