Salesmen & Bums

I used to work with a guy at Intel who had worked as an appliance salesman while he was going to college. Said it was the easiest money he ever made. Basically all he had to do was read the feature list off the tag on the appliance and people would buy it. But that's not the kind of salesman I want to talk about.

Slimy salesmen are the ones I don't like. They act all charming and pleasant when all they really want is the money out of your wallet. And this is where they find themselves in the same category as bums.

What do you do with a bum? Usually they appear to be down on their luck: dirty, unshaven, ragged clothes. All they're asking for is a little spare change. Change, for Pete's sake. You can't buy anything with change these days. A dollar is like the smallest worthwhile denomination. So you are tempted to give them something. On the other hand, we have the authorities telling you to not give them anything, they will just spend it on alcohol or drugs, and that will just lead to more of the same. We have shelters (they say), we'll take care of them, just don't give them any money. So now you have a dilemma: to give, or not to give, that is the question. And there is no end to them. If you give money to one, are you going to give money to the next?

But that is all besides the point. What really grates is their insinuating themselves into your personal space. I'm not asking you for something, I'm not offering anything, why are you even talking to me?

It's a similar problem with salesmen. Out and out pushy salesmen I have no trouble with. The ones that come up to you out of the blue trying to sell you anything, just ignore them and they'll go on to the next mark. Their modus operandi is to cover as many people as they can. Some people want what they are selling and those are the only people they want to talk to you. No response means no interest, which means no sale, move along.

The ones that are bad are the ones who try to talk you into something you don't want, and through their schmoozing tactics they get you to agree to it, step by step, and then when you get home you regret what you've done, but the deal is done, and the thing you bought will do the job, so just forget about it and get on with your life. These are the ones I don't like. They have insinuated themselves into your personal space. They have crossed the line, and deserve no sympathy.

P.S. I wasn't sure insinuate was the right word, but I couldn't think of a better one. Looking at definition #2 tells me I had it right. I think.