The $700 Breakfast

A couple of weeks ago, on the beautiful Amalfi coast in Italy, in Positano, we had breakfast one morning at a small open-air restaurant perched high atop the hill, looking down on the postcard-like beach and bay.

As we walked out Pam said, “Let’s take a quick look in here,” pointing toward the clothing boutique next door.

The shopkeeper, a petite Italian woman in her 30’s greeted us with a smile and “Buongiorno.”

Pam immediately spotted a dress she liked.

The woman, Gianna said in a lovely Italian accent, “That will look beautiful on you, come, try,” as she whisked Pam to the fitting room a few steps away.

Uh oh.

As I waited, I looked at the rack of very fine locally-made linen shirts. Gianna noticed and said, “Which color you like?”

I pointed to a striped one that really caught my eye.

“That will look perfect on you. You will take extra large. Come. Try on.”

I could not be disrespectful of course.

Now wearing the shirt, I pulled the curtain aside. Gianna smiles, “Ahh, so handsome.”

Pam nodded her head in agreement.

Gianna hands me a pair of nice-looking linen shorts. “These will be perfect with the shirt.”

I said I didn’t need any shorts. She holds them out to me and says in a soothing musical voice,

“Ah, just try.”

I did. They felt and looked awesome.

Then she runs over to the rack and picks up another pair. “We have in white also.”

Pam says, “White will look great on you.”

Now they’re ganging up on me. The white ones did look great.

Now she hands me ANOTHER shirt. A vibrant, dark sea-blue. I actually had noticed it earlier. “This will be perfect with those.”

I said I already was getting a shirt.

Again, she cooed, “Ah, go ahead and just try.”

Luckily Pam’s three dresses were on sale. I asked Gianna how much better she could do on price.

She replied, “Oh, you can just take this form when leaving at airport and they give you sales tax back.” Brilliant way to handle an objection.

I’m still smiling as I hear her voice in my head:

“Go ahead. Just try.”

I’ve suggested the “Just give it try” technique and variations of it many times. It obviously was used on me. Very successfully.

Except it doesn’t feel like a technique when someone is helping a person buy.

Just like Gianna did.

Go ahead, just try it.

(This originally appeared in our Smart Calling Community, where I visit, interact, and share new tips pretty much daily. Go to the Facebook group, click on “Join Group,” and very importantly, answer the three brief questions, otherwise your request will not be submitted. See you there!)