One really tiny thing about Jodi that has always bugged me way out of proportion is that word she used a few times during the trial: "de-edify." Specifically I think what she'd say was something like "I'd never de-edify Travis." She said it a few times, with a straight face, like she actually believed it was a word in the English language. By far the least of her sins, but, as I said, it always bugged me. Like a fish bone stuck in my throat.
Something else that has always bugged me is absolutely everything about Prepaid Legal. Yeah, they have all sorts of shiny facts and figures proving how completely not a scam it is, the successful people attesting to how legit and lucrative it is, they have their rah-rah conventions, Executive Director banquets, trips to Cancun, and they have Gus "the Weasel" Searcy assuring Juan Martinez, under oath, that it in no way resembles a pyramid,.. but come on. (I don't mean to imply any criticism of Travis because of his PPL involvement. I'm certainly in no position to judge how anyone else makes a living.)
In a perfect world, when Gus was on the stand not sounding at all like an infomercial, Juan would have asked the judge if he could approach, she'd have said yes, Juan would have made a bee-line for Gus and then just slapped him silly. Sigh... Imagine how much easier it would have been to watch this whole trial if courtroom etiquette allowed for a little Stooges action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZgVRJ-H8U
So anyway, I've been looking at Prepaid Legal stuff online. There's tons of it. (Fear not, Loyal Reader, I'm in no danger of drinking the Kool-Aid.) Turns out that one of the big things you're taught to do when signing up new associates is to have three-way phone calls between your prospect, yourself, and an "expert" who can answer all the prospect's questions (kind of like a phone-a-friend I guess). Before one of these calls, you "edify the expert to the prospect," which, in PPL parlance, means to tell the prospect that the expert you want them to talk to is super smart and successful and awesome and is better equipped to answer complex questions than you are yourself. You don't extol your expert to your prospect, sing his praises, or go on about his qualifications and achievements. And you don't edify your prospect about how PPL works. No, you edify your expert to your prospect -- because that makes perfect sense.
Maybe part of this is an attempt to appear humble? To imply that your prospect has such a probing intellect that he or she actually
has complex questions? To let them know that PPL is a network of helpful, caring,
fun people who want to help them be successful, whether they just want to make a few bucks now and then by selling legal insurance policies, or whether they want to maximize their earning potential by sharing this great business opportunity?
Here's a tidbit from a PPL how-to guide, more of which can be found at
http://begintheascent.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/5step-process.pdf
The best way to help an EXPERT help you during a 3-way call:
● Send a text message to your support team when your prospect has been through Steps 1 & 2, to see
who is available.
● Edify your expert to your prospect, so they understand your expert knows more about the business
than they do. A generic 4-part introduction for an expert is: "They've helped a lot of people. They're
having success. They're fun to work with. They know the facts." Be normal, and use your own words, but
put ego aside and realize edification is an important part of a 3-way call and 3-way calls can make you
extremely successful in this business.
● Introduce your expert as Mr./Ms./Mrs. (and last name), then introduce your prospect by first name.
So, when Jodi says she would never ever ever want to de-edify Travis, that must be PPL lingo for "speak ill of".
It's still totally not a word, and a HUGE part of this trial has been "de-edifying Travis" in the most egregious way possible.
Anyway, kids, over and out. Be normal!
.
raying:
