H2O Magazine

“Can I make a suggestion?” I asked. “Do you have a couple of pieces of paper and a Magic Marker I could use?” He gave the items and I quickly made two new signs for him to place above his cash registers instead. The new signs read:

“REMEMBER THE ICE!!!”

I left with a knowing smile and purposely stayed away for about three weeks. When I did go back to the store, I spoke with Rick about his recent ice sales.

He was having difficulty keeping up with demand.

“I have had to triple my order in the last three weeks,” he said. “Sales are great.”

I smiled and explained what I had done. “If I say to you,” I began, “‘Don’t think of the color blue,’ what color do you immediately think of?”

“Why, blue of course,” he replied.

“Of course,” I grinned. “Now, if I say ‘Don’t Forget the Ice’, what will you forget?”

“Hmm … the ice!”

“Right.”

With a simple shift in word choice, Rick noticed a considerable increase in his ice sales. He shared the following with me:

“Bob, as the customers stand at the counter to check out, they look up, see the new sign – ‘Remember the Ice’ – and usually say, ‘By the way, add a couple of bags of ice as well.’ They pay for their items, pick up their ice from the freezer outside the door, and go on their way.”

I love this story. It reminds me just how powerful a shift in speech can be.

Bob, is the author/creator ofRemember the Ice and Other Paradigm Shifts. Remember the Ice is an easy to learn, yet comprehensive program that teaches you:  There is Power in the Clarity of your Articulation. ™ Communication is at the core of all of your interactions and transactions.