I found this link on Guy Kawasaki’s blog: a fellow named Mitchell Weisburgh describes how he had absolutely no intention of buying, yet is now the owner of a handmade Turkish wool rug as the result of a casual encounter on the streets of Istanbul.

Weisburgh puts it in the context of a lesson in marketing and sales, using the principles of Robert Cialdini’s Influence as a guide. I’ve known about Cialdini’s book for years, and it’s been on my to-read list. Certainly, as a copywriter and marketing consultant, I use his principles even without studying them directly (along with several others who write about influence).

Interestingly, I happen to own a small rug that I bought in the Old City of Jerusalem. Nothing as fancy as Weisburgh’s, but again, a rug I had no intention of buying. Of course, at $15 versus Weisburg’s four-figure price, it was a lot easier to let myself be loosened up to buy.