Sales - It's All About the Details

I was in the mall on Saturday headed to Williams-Sonoma to buy myself a present when I was approached by a woman from one of those little middle-of-the-mall shops you see sort of scattered throughout the main thoroughfares.  (They're the mall equivalent of pushcarts, I think.)

Since there's no polite way to say no to "May I ask you a question?" (usually the question is, do you have the time?), I was sucked in before I knew what happened.  This sales woman then proceeded to ask me if I had ever heard of her skin care line (I hadn't, nor do I remember it...) and wanted to show me how amazing it was.

First, the amazing nail care block (the kind with 3-4 sides made of something different on each side) that promises a beautiful shine and perfect nails for a month.  (Less than 24 hours later, I couldn't tell a difference...)  She looked at my hands and asked my profession. Doctor? Teacher? Um, how about "Administrator"?  Your hands look like you wash them a thousand times a day.  Sure... I just finished doing dishes an hour ago. Who wears lotion just to go to the mall?  The cuticle remover makes your cuticles disappear (dissolve? why would I put anything on my nails that makes my skin dissolve?) and never come back - until the next time you wash your hands.  Awesome.

On to the facial care products... try this exfoliating gel, use it only once a month, one container lasts a whole year (there was a picture on it indicating it was a 6-month supply).  It will make any blemishes you have completely resolve... you can go makeup-free and show off your natural beauty!  Then why are you wearing full-coverage makeup - lots of it?  Then you rub in this lotion... see how much more quickly it absorbs when you use the product? Especially when you rub it in two different ways to enhance the contrast.

Just for you, I'll knock my partner's commission off the price of the product, and give you a discount, because I know you'll love it if you try it.  Thanks - that will make me feel really awesome.  Someone else works for free, and I get expensive skin care product.

Let's face it. I said no.  Well, actually, she wasn't taking no for an answer, so I said, let me think about it and we'll come back if we decide to buy it.  We didn't.

What she didn't know about me (including my profession and how often I wash my hands) was that I have years of higher education (and a little obsession with certain TV shows) that have taught me how to pay attention to detail.  And if you want to sell something to one who has learned to be observant, you have to live and act what you sell - not just believe it.  And, it has to work.  Of course, then it sells itself anyway, so you don't need to try to persuade me.

Like the awesome wok I bought.

That evening I went to the General Relief Society Meeting and heard our prophet counsel us to be charitable and avoid harsh judgment.  (And I was glad I didn't actually say any of the commentary I just wrote into my story.)

The End.