driverâs cab confirmed that cameras were rolling. A lever popped, the shutter was thrown up, and light poured in. There was no going back.
Londonâs Chapel Market is a very busy place at ten oâclock in the morning. Stall holders fill the street with clothes, food, toys, and assorted gadgets designed to improve or enhance the lives of anyone with a little cash to spare. We had parked beside a cafe, on the corner so that the main flow of people was passing the open rear end of the truck. I handed a roll of plastic bags to my assistant and pulled a couple of boxes even closer to the opening. Behind me, stacked to the roof, were boxes for PlayStations, Xboxes, DVD players, and LCD televisions. These were the bait. All we needed now was the fish.
âLadies and gentlemen!â I said, filling my gut with air to project as far as I could without shouting, gaining maximum volume without strain.
âLadies and gentlemen, welcome to Chapel Market, where you find real bargains for real people.â A few people stopped. Others glanced over as they walked by. Some slowed their pace a little. Remembering a lesson from my youth, I kept talking as if a thousand people had stopped to hear. âHere at the market, you know that you are guaranteed to find the very best prices for the finest merchandise. This isnât Oxford Street. This isnât Regent Street where you pay as much for the name on the bag as you do for whatâs inside!â More people had stopped and the crowd was starting to fill out.
I reached into the first box and pulled out a personal grooming kit, sealed inside clear, brittle plastic. âCome a little closer, thereâs room for everyone. Here at the market we guarantee the very best bargains and, this morning Iâm here to offer you all a deal you will never find at those big shops on the high street. Who knows what this is? Itâs a menâs grooming kit. Ladies, this little kit is sure to clean up those dirty fingernails, trim those beards, and shave that stubble. It comes in its own case and is ready to wrap for Christmas or that special birthday boy. How much would you pay for something like this downtown? Fifty? Twenty? If youâre really, really lucky, maybe fifteen quid. Here, at the market the price isâwait for itâtwo pounds!â
That got their attention. I could see people reaching for purses and pockets but I wasnât finished. I pulled a womenâs grooming kit from the box and put that beside the other one. âWe also have a ladyâs kit for the same low price and, as part of todayâs special promotion we are selling bothâboth of these kits for the same low price of just two pounds. Thatâs two pounds for both kits! Put your hands in the air if you have two pounds and, remember, we guarantee youâll be satisfied and we guarantee youâll be happy!â
Hands flew up as we passed out oversized bags with two kits already inside. I pulled another box toward me as the crowd eyed the boxes of expensive merchandise still stacked against the back wall of the van.
âNow, let me ask you something.â I was getting into it now, finding my rhythm. âWho would say that two grooming sets for just two pounds is a fantastic bargain? Show me your hands. Now, here at the market, we want to be sure everyone is happy so, if you are happy with your purchase, put your hands in the air and shout âIâm Happy!ââ Everyone does. More people join the crowd; I turn to my assistant and say âAlex, everyone who has their hand in the airâgive them their money back!â
The crowd was baffled as everyone who bought a kit was given a full refund. I pull out a set of twenty pens from another box. They look expensive behind the plastic wrappingâthe kind a businessman might carry. I pull one from my pocket to use as an example.
âNow, I want you to look at this. Youâve all seen pens like this.
Londonâs Chapel Market is a very busy place at ten oâclock in the morning. Stall holders fill the street with clothes, food, toys, and assorted gadgets designed to improve or enhance the lives of anyone with a little cash to spare. We had parked beside a cafe, on the corner so that the main flow of people was passing the open rear end of the truck. I handed a roll of plastic bags to my assistant and pulled a couple of boxes even closer to the opening. Behind me, stacked to the roof, were boxes for PlayStations, Xboxes, DVD players, and LCD televisions. These were the bait. All we needed now was the fish.
âLadies and gentlemen!â I said, filling my gut with air to project as far as I could without shouting, gaining maximum volume without strain.
âLadies and gentlemen, welcome to Chapel Market, where you find real bargains for real people.â A few people stopped. Others glanced over as they walked by. Some slowed their pace a little. Remembering a lesson from my youth, I kept talking as if a thousand people had stopped to hear. âHere at the market, you know that you are guaranteed to find the very best prices for the finest merchandise. This isnât Oxford Street. This isnât Regent Street where you pay as much for the name on the bag as you do for whatâs inside!â More people had stopped and the crowd was starting to fill out.
I reached into the first box and pulled out a personal grooming kit, sealed inside clear, brittle plastic. âCome a little closer, thereâs room for everyone. Here at the market we guarantee the very best bargains and, this morning Iâm here to offer you all a deal you will never find at those big shops on the high street. Who knows what this is? Itâs a menâs grooming kit. Ladies, this little kit is sure to clean up those dirty fingernails, trim those beards, and shave that stubble. It comes in its own case and is ready to wrap for Christmas or that special birthday boy. How much would you pay for something like this downtown? Fifty? Twenty? If youâre really, really lucky, maybe fifteen quid. Here, at the market the price isâwait for itâtwo pounds!â
That got their attention. I could see people reaching for purses and pockets but I wasnât finished. I pulled a womenâs grooming kit from the box and put that beside the other one. âWe also have a ladyâs kit for the same low price and, as part of todayâs special promotion we are selling bothâboth of these kits for the same low price of just two pounds. Thatâs two pounds for both kits! Put your hands in the air if you have two pounds and, remember, we guarantee youâll be satisfied and we guarantee youâll be happy!â
Hands flew up as we passed out oversized bags with two kits already inside. I pulled another box toward me as the crowd eyed the boxes of expensive merchandise still stacked against the back wall of the van.
âNow, let me ask you something.â I was getting into it now, finding my rhythm. âWho would say that two grooming sets for just two pounds is a fantastic bargain? Show me your hands. Now, here at the market, we want to be sure everyone is happy so, if you are happy with your purchase, put your hands in the air and shout âIâm Happy!ââ Everyone does. More people join the crowd; I turn to my assistant and say âAlex, everyone who has their hand in the airâgive them their money back!â
The crowd was baffled as everyone who bought a kit was given a full refund. I pull out a set of twenty pens from another box. They look expensive behind the plastic wrappingâthe kind a businessman might carry. I pull one from my pocket to use as an example.
âNow, I want you to look at this. Youâve all seen pens like this.