Salespeople

It's not that I inherently dislike salespeople, or even the job itself (although I could never, ever be a salesperson). In fact, I do appreciate a good salesperson in the right circumstances. Like if I go to buy a new pair of running shoes, I want someone to notice that I'm standing there looking at the shoes on display and ask if they can help me and be friendly and knowledgeable and not get annoyed (at least not visibly) when I have run up and down the parking lot in a dozen different shoes and still haven't found quite what I'm looking for. I like it when salespeople help me find what I'm looking for and make a purchase I can be happy with. What I don't like, I suppose, is when salespeople are there to sell.

I have had two experiences with this in the last few days. On Saturday I was out looking at cars (that was kind of exciting - I have never done that for myself before). I knew exactly what I was looking for, make and model, and so my experience, accompanied by my little sister (who knows a lot more about cars and car shopping than I do), consisted mostly of walking around the car, taking it for a test drive, and asking a few questions about things I actually understand, like gas mileage. The salesperson at the Honda dealership was friendly but not very talkative. The salesperson at the Toyota dealership, however, was good. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation during the test drive and felt that I got some useful information out of it. That was a good salesman experience.

It was after the test drive that the negative salesman experience happened. My sister and I followed him inside and he sat us down and went to get me a brochure, and then returned a few minutes later with his supervisor who sat down in front of me, asked a few questions about my "case," and then looked me in the eye and launched into his "What can I do to get you to buy this car today?" routine. I thought I had made it very clear that I was not looking to purchase a car right then and there, that I needed time to look at other options, that in fact I was completely unable to make an immediate purchase because my parents were involved in this process, and none of this seemed to phase him. Fortunately the ordeal didn't last too long, and when I talked to my mom later she just laughed and told me about the time when she and my dad had gone looking for a car early in their marriage and had been herded into a small room and told in no uncertain terms (when they refused to commit then and there) that there was no way their marriage would survive if they couldn't make a simple decision like deciding to buy a car.

The second experience was last night, as Family Home Evening was drawing to a close. A couple of the people in my group had wandered out onto the porch and I was sitting on my piano bench just inside the door when I heard voices outside - something about "yes, we're just having a group activity here; no, I'm not in charge - let me get her," and then one of my group members poked his head in the door and beckoned me outside. "Salespeople," he said. "You can get rid of them."

Great, I thought as I dutifully headed outdoors. I hate getting rid of salespeople. I will do it; I just don't like it.

Ten minutes and a bit more money than I cared to spend later I found myself with a receipt, a renewal of my Runner's World Magazine subscription, and the slightly uncomfortable feeling that always follows when I give in to a door-to-door sale, whether it be a boy scout raffle or (like this one) a program sending inner city youth and adults out to places like Provo, Utah to peddle magazines and earn an honest living.

I didn't really get swept up and pressured into doing something I didn't want to do. I made a logical decision - my Runner's World subscription is running out soon and I already know I want to renew it, and so what's the harm buying an extension right there and maybe helping someone out in the process? It would have been far different if I had bought a magazine that I didn't really want, or even a magazine that I wanted but to which I had not planned to subscribe any time in the near future. I just happened to make the purchase I wanted to make a little earlier and in a slightly different setting than I'd anticipated. So I didn't feel uncomfortable in the way I feel uncomfortable when I make a hasty purchase in any other situation.

There were two things that made me uncomfortable. The first was the feeling that I can never quite shake when I'm approached by someone in front of a store or on my doorstep that they may not be entirely reliable, that it's possible I'm being involved in a scam of some sort. This morning I got on the internet and tried to do some research about the company. The Urban Developments Solutions website doesn't give a whole lot of information to inspire confidence, but I also can't seem to track down anyone claiming that they are a scam of any sort. I hate feeling so distrustful, but I can't afford to throw money away and I'm tempted just to call the number on the receipt within the alotted three business days to cancel my transaction.

And even if the whole process is completely legitimate, I still didn't like the experience because it bothers me when I'm dealing with salespeople who are trained to sell to people who may not want to be sold to. I don't like feeling manipulated. It bothered me when he wouldn't let me ask my questions until I had answered to his question, "Everyone deserves a chance. Do you think I deserve just as much a chance as anyone?" It bothered me when he started telling me about how he's doing this for his daughter, how he has a little daughter back home and wants her to have a good life - not because I am an insensitive person or because I don't think his daughter matters, but because I don't want to have my heartstrings pulled when making a buying decision because that just seems manipulative to me. And it bothered me that he neglected to tell me about the $10 Process & Handling fee until I was actually writing out my check. Overall it bothered me that I was being sold to.

And I guess that's why I feel uncomfortable in sales situations. If I'm going to make a purchase, I want to feel like it's entirely my decision. I want to feel like I am in control of the situation, and salespeople have the power to take that feeling of control away from me, even if I already anticipated making the purchase ahead of time. It seems to me like the only way to handle these situations is to engage in some sort of power play where you, as the buyer, somehow show your dominance, somehow take visible control. And that's just not how I am, ever. I like being in control, I don't like having to fight for control. Or for the appearance of control.