Michael Mirarchi 0:19

Welcome to the Toilet Paper Salesman Podcast. My name's Mike Mirarchi, and I'm thrilled you're here today. For this podcast episode, we're going to be talking about the theory of scattering mice. Before I get into that, if you're happy with the content, if you like listening to the podcast, why don't you like and subscribe

Welcome And Quick Request

Michael Mirarchi 0:38

it? And that helps us to spread the word. What is the theory of scattering mice? So when I was in high school and I had a girlfriend, I noticed that when I had a girlfriend, I could get anybody. It seemed like every girl was available. And I'm sure you've probably have experienced that as well, that every boy

Defining The Scattering Mice Theory

Michael Mirarchi 1:00

or girl, when you have someone that you're dating, seems to be available and you're very desirable, and they're all there. And then something happens. When you break up, they scatter like mice. Why is that? What happens that when you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, that you're very attractive and that there's all kinds of opportunities, it seems, and then the moment you break up, they scatter like mice. Really, what this comes down to is neediness. This goes not just in your relationships, it goes into negotiations, this goes into a lot of different areas in your life. Whenever you're needy for something, you're less attractive. If you're desperately looking for a job and you need to have a job, then you're going to be less attractive. I was in Binghamton, I was working with a youth group, and I was in Binghamton, New York, and we were going to a hockey game, and I had three extra tickets. And so I'm standing out front trying to sell these three extra tickets, and I had somebody

Neediness Makes You Less Attractive

Michael Mirarchi 2:03

who came up to me and they wanted two out of the three tickets. Well,

The Hockey Tickets Lesson

Michael Mirarchi 2:07

I don't just want to sell two tickets because if I sold two tickets, I'd only have one left. And what are you going to do with one ticket? So I kind of held off. I was waiting for someone else, and they came by and I said no, and then they came by again and I said no, and then they came back a third time, and then they said never mind. The moment they said never mind, it flipped the script because now I went from not being needy to being needy, and then I sold them the tickets, and I actually had to sell them the tickets at a discount. It's the same thing, like if you're buying a car. How many people get sucked into a car deal because they feel like they need it? Well, you never need any car. You want the car, you don't need the car. That's the distinction that you need to make when you're negotiating, is you want something, but

Car Buying And The Need Trap

Michael Mirarchi 2:59

you don't necessarily need something. And if you have that mindset, then you're going to be much more successful. It goes into sales in the same way. Especially new reps, I find that when they're needy, they're less attractive, and they have a harder time getting new accounts and good accounts, and they end up getting, for the lack of better terms, abused in the sense that customers take

Sales Confidence Versus Low Margins

Michael Mirarchi 3:24

advantage of them because they're needy. They tend to have to sell at lower margins, they're just not as attractive as a salesperson, or they won't buy from them at all because they're just too needy. On the other hand, if you want the account, you don't need the account, then you are just more confident and more comfortable, no different than with a job interview. If you need a job, you're not going to interview as well as if you want the job and you're not needy. If you already have a job, for example, and somebody's recruiting you and you go to an interview, you don't need this job, so you're going to naturally be a better interview because you're not going to have that neediness. And

Job Interviews And Closing Thoughts

Michael Mirarchi 4:04

so the theory of scattering mice is the theory of neediness. When you're needy, you are less attractive. So remember that as you move forward, and it'll gain you better success, better customers, better deals, better negotiating mindset, and overall, just a better life. That's all I have for today. Who says selling toilet paper isn't glamorous? Thanks a lot and have a great day.