English
STOP Studying English to Speak English Fluently?
Success Often Comes From Doing The Unexpected…
A man who owned a clothing store wanted his son to take over (phrasal verb meaning to control something).
In order to learn how to sell clothes, he told his son to come to the store.
While the son was eager to run the shop, he wasn’t interested in learning how to sell.
He said, “Dad, selling is easy. You just give people what they need. I already know how to do that.”
He replied, “That’s right. Now take this suitcase full of our finest suits to the next town and call me when you’ve sold them all.”
His father left with the suitcase, and he was ecstatic when he arrived at the next town because nearly everyone was dressed in old, worn clothing.
A smile spread across his face as he thought to himself, “This is the perfect place to sell these fantastic suits! Everyone needs them!”
The young man began to wonder what was wrong after a few days of zero sales. “What’s wrong with everyone?” he wondered.
“These people have such old, torn clothes. Surely I can replace their old clothes with my nice suits.”
No matter how hard he tried, even with people who had money to spend, the young man couldn’t sell anything.
He called his father, who told him to return home if he was ready to learn how to sell.
The father explained to his son that he sent his son to the town knowing that he wouldn’t sell any suits.
“Son, you didn’t sell any suits because no one wanted them,” he continued. “What did you see when you looked at the people in that small town?”
I saw a lot of farmers, and everyone was dressed in old, plain clothing. Wouldn’t this be the perfect place to sell suits?
He explained, “People don’t want expensive suits in a town like that, even if we think they might need them. They’re happy with what they have. But what people do buy a lot of over there are ham and bacon, even though everyone keeps their own pigs! Interesting, isn’t it? There are already lots of pigs and bacon in the region, so they do not really need more of either. But they want it.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense!” exclaimed the son. “I should sell our suits to people who already have nice suits?” he asked.
Exactly! You have more books than you could ever read, but you still buy new ones all the time.
I NEED all of those books! I can learn something new from each of them.” he said after thinking for a moment.
“It’s understandable that you WANT those books,” said the father, “but really, you don’t NEED them. That’s what our customers do too; they want options. They find value in each suit, just like you do with your books. For example, one for the office and another for Sunday chapel. A special one for a nice evening out with their partner, or something more laid-back when meeting up with friends.”
He thought for a while more.
“So, we serve our customers by providing them with what THEY want, not what WE think they need?”
His father was proud to see his son learning this very valuable lesson. “Now you’re ready to help people find their perfect suit!” he said.
It’s usually not the obvious things that get us the best results.
For years, countless English students review grammar tables, memorize vocabulary words, and read textbooks to learn the language…
However, they are still unable to speak.
By studying English, they believe they will become fluent.
Almost every English language school teaches this, so they believe it.
However, the truth is quite different…
By studying and memorizing the language, you can pass tests, but you learn how to speak English fluently the same way native speakers do.
It’s the difference between knowing the rules of a sport and playing it well.
Despite the fact that I’ve taught the same, proven method for over ten years to thousands of students, learners who cannot yet speak still ask me how they should learn.
Despite my best wishes, it’s disappointing to know they’ll continue to struggle.
Getting fluent is much easier and faster for those who are willing to try something unexpected.
Keep in mind the story of the young man, and be open to trying new things if what you’re doing isn’t working. 🙂
Drew
Your English Fluency Guide
PS: If you’d like to learn how to speak English naturally, correctly, and fluently, you can download our FREE guide that reveals how to speak English spontaneously and naturally, even when you’re unfamiliar with the subject!
Click here, or on the image below, to download Speak English Fluently, FREE, if you’re tired of hesitating when you speak! 🙂
