This is the story of a salesman who does tricks to make his
customers remember him and who spends his vacations as a
radio operator at sea.
Howard (Sparks) Dodge is his name and he's known
from Chicago to New Orleans for the magic he performs.
Sparks, you've probably guessed, is an amateur magician,
in addition to being a salesman well-versed in "word magic."
For years I've been urging salesmen to "find the sizzle" to
find success, and Sparks not only is an apt hunter when it
comes to finding the right sentence to interest and sell his
customers, but he also has learned well what over 100 busi-
ness schools call "Wheelerpoint No. 3" in closing a sale:
"It's as much what you do as what you say!"
Typical of the way Sparks does things to help sell is this
story about his business card.
A few years back Sparks used to greet customers who
promised to be difficult by handing them what appeared to
be a cover torn of? the magazine he represents.
Then, before the customer or prospect could think of some-
thing to say, Sparks would take out a deck of cards and ask
the man or woman behind the desk to take one.
Most of us do this automatically and usually the toughest
prospect obliged.
At this point Sparks would take the magazine cover back
from the prospect, go through a number of rapid move-
ments and end by folding the cover so that a duplicate of the
card held by the prospect appeared.
Then, while the customer was still laughing, Sparks would
make still another fold so that his own business card would
appear and begin to tell his story.
Usually this story began with the statement that Dodge's
magazine could work magic, too*
Sparks Dodge and his magic tricks point up a big success
secret: "It's as much what you do as what you say!"
