Black Magic

The U.S. auto salesman will try anything once--as long as it sells cars--and over the years he has explored every gimmick from tears to stripteasers. But last week in San Diego, the Walt Tufford Plymouth agency signed the sales booster to top them all: a professional hypnotist named Richard N. Mikesell.

For the sum of $300 (half in advance) Hypnotist Mikesell, 39, a onetime auto salesman himself, guaranteed to "instill confidence, enthusiasm and self-control" into Tufford's salesmen--all by hypnosis, usually applied at two sessions five days apart. First Mikesell puts his subjects in a trance, then talks to them about "positive thinking," building up confidence in their selling ability. Afterwards, says he, they feel like new men. The first charge lasts anywhere from one to two weeks; in a month the client is ready for a recharge. Says Mikesell: "This is no zombie deal. I simply apply hypnosis--and I apply a form of enthusiasm. The enthusiasm is false, of course. It has to be, so as not to irritate any neurotic tendencies; but it does act as a crutch to carry them over any temporary slumps."

Hypnotized salesmen insist the scheme works. Starting out with two slumping salesmen at the agency where he worked, Mikesell experimented on them "whenever we had time between deals." Suddenly both men went on hot selling streaks, and the agency promptly sent 13 of its 22 salesmen in for the same treatment. Result, according to the agency: eight of the 13 are doing 100% better, two are much better, one a little better, only two showed no improvement. Says one man, who grumpily treated every customer as a "tire kicker," someone who is just killing time: "Now I treat every customer as a potential buyer, and I've been right up in the top five." Says another, who boosted his earnings $300 a month: "I'm not sure exactly what he did. He told me customers are prone to lie a little bit. He said I believed too much of what a customer told me about deals other salesmen would give them. He told me to remain honest and straightforward--give the best deal I could. But, of course, never believe a damn thing one of them says."

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