Yesterday I left beautyful Agra (Taj Mahal) and after a crazy 6 1/2 hrs bus ride, I arrived in Jaipur, known as the pink city.
First thing tourist guides warns you about are Jaipur’s annoying auto rickshaw drivers, who want to drive you to the hotel of their choice, instead of dropping you off at your hotel.
Personally I really don’t mind them, but most tourists are annoyed with them. I see them more as “offline affiliate marketers” (with a 30% comission) with incredible good selling skills. Their techniques are just great and and these techniques should work for the online world as well. Here is how they do it and maybe it helps you improving your website:
1. Breaking the ice:
Introduce yourself with your name and a handshake. Sit down at a table with your guest. Make him comfortable. Ask personal questions:
Where are you from? Where are you heading to? Do you like XXX? Are you married? Do you have kids?….
2. Use personal info / Compliment
Use personal info, compliment and follow up on you gathered information: You look younger than you are? I have a friend/many friends in New York. I like American/Germans….I speak a little German….I have friends in [next city that tourist is heading to]
3. Guilt
Auto-rickshaw driver tells you about his family, his 7 kids and invites you for a free drink. His salary, his business plans, dreams…. giving you no choice to feel sorry for the guy.
4. Persistance
Self-explaining
5. Pricing
Walmart pricing strategy: Showing you an incredible hotel first, then dropping you off at an expensive, but affordable hotel. Sold!
6. Advice / free stuff
Free tee, free advice in combination with guilt. Always works.
7. Upsell
Once sold….upsell. Upsell as high as you can.
Ok…hopefully this made sense….got to head out to meet my Auto-rickshaw driver now 
P.S.
Thanks for all the Indian web analysts that emailt me. I will try to email you back asap. My next stops will probably be Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Not sure if I make it down to IT captial Bangolore, but I certainly will try to! But first I need to become the next Bollywood star…
