If I ask my wife, "Would you like to go out for dinner this evening?", her answer will more often be "No" than "Yes".

But when I ask her, "Would you like to go to Minerva's for dinner this evening", her answer will usually be "Yes".

Why is that?

The first part of the answer is that it's easier to think of something specific than something general. The second part is it's easier still if the thought makes you feel good.

So "Minerva's" is both specific and has pleasant memories for Kate, so it elicits a "Yes". But "out for dinner" on its own, is general, and may cause her to remember the last unpleasant restaurant meal we had.

"Minerva's" allows her mind to paint a detailed picture. It triggers good feelings.

The very thing you want the minds of your prospects to do.

So how do you do it?

Hal Zlotnik had a brilliant insight in how to do it with a client he had to meet to discuss reducing his coverage.

I described it in my ebook you received on subscribing to TIP, "Secrets of Soft-Fact Sales". You may remember it as Hal's "Absentee Interview".

He set the stage with his client, by saying, "Jerry, assume that I'm your executor.

"You died last night.

"In 10 minutes your widow will be in my office to ask me some questions.

"What questions, what three questions, Jerry will be most important to her to have me answer?"

So Jerry painted for himself a mental picture of his wife, the woman he loves, distraught, and looking for answers to the questions his death had caused her.

How come?

First of all, Hal was specific. He didn't generalize with "When you die". He said, "You died last night".

He didn't ask the general question, "What will your widow do?" He told Jerry she "will be in my office".

He didn't ask, "What shall I tell her?" He asked, "What 3 questions will be most important to her to have me answer?"

Hal was very specific, in laying out the scene for Jerry's imagination to fill in.

Then he said, "And when you've got that figured out, decide what answers you'd like me to give her to her 3 questions."

In finding answers to his widow's questions, Jerry wants to feel good about himself. He wants his mental view of himself to be favourable. So the answers he decides he wants Hal to give his widow are positive ones to enhance his self-image.

"While you do that," continued Hal, "I have to make a phone call, then go to the men's room."

Which is why I call it the "Absentee Interview". Hal wasn't present while Jerry imagined his widow's 3 questions. Nor while he decided on the answers he wanted Hal to give her.

Jerry sold himself, through the specific images that Hal had suggested to him.

So, if you want your prospect to paint a picture in his mind of a particular event, be specific in setting the scene.

And try to arrange it that he can come up with answers that make him feel good.