I got called out at a public speaking engagement by one of the owners of a major car dealership who thought all my psychological hocus-pocus was rubbish and wagered that I could not use my psychological tactics to effect his bottom line, and he was willing to put his money where is mouth is. Challenge Accepted.
I asked them to let me mentor a struggling salesperson (selling an average of less than one car a month). He was one of 30 salespersons at a the large car dealership in Colorado (and in risk of loosing his job that he had to support his family with). The other sales staff had inconsistent sales, with about 5 doing really well.
He was then consulted over a one week period.
We showed him how to read subtle body language of potential buyers and manipulate his own body mechanics to increase his sales. We also gave him some psychological word phrasing for his industry to invoke psychological triggers in the people he was selling to.
Over the next three months his sales increased to more than double the highest seller at the dealership and was given a promotion teaching others what he had learned.
I got the free Burger King meal we betted on at the event we met at, and landed a long term consulting gig for his sales staff.
*Note: Sales is a hard hard job. Customers come into the sales floor very defensive and on edge. It takes some very subtile skills to be able to gain a quick trust with them, especially when you are about to ask them to part with thousands of dollars of hard earned money. Customers engage with you right off the bat knowing whole heartedly you are trying to screw then, despite your true intentions.
This often puts the salesman on the defensive and it quickly shows within the first seconds of contact. Everything typically goes downhill from there.
It is important to be positive, real, honest, and relaxed with the customer off the bat with a proper handshake, earnest smile, and calm tone. The goal is to make the customer feel like they are in control the entire time while you are helping them make a very uneasy and scary decision to spend their hard earned money.