PLEASE buy something!! I'll be your friend!

The life of a salesperson must be a tough one. To have your livelihood depending on your ability to make a sale - it's hard to imagine. I think there are good salespeople out there. Ones that will make you feel like you want to buy something from them - and not the other way around.

I was at the mall yesterday, waiting out the work being done on my car. There I was strolling along, minding my own business, when a salesperson stopped me. I knew he was trying to sell me something, but hey, I had time, might as well indulge him.

He proceeded to have me show him my nails, and then he took me over to give me a "manicure" of sorts. Some magic thing-a-ma-bobber(patent pending) that was "all natural." Through the whole thing I continued to indulge him. To be honest, the results were pretty nice. He even had me pick out a scented hand lotion - I picked some honey-scented concoction. Then began the sale. He went on and on about how much professional manicures cost, and that the product he was selling was $69.99, but I could get it for $29.99. He insisted that this was a "special" and surprise surprise, it just so happened to be today only. What fantastic odds!

This guy came on really strong. He was making it sound as if my life depended on this product, and how easier my life would be, and what a deal I was getting. Now getting annoyed, I told him I'd think about it and get back to him. I turned to leave. I was a few feet away when he called me back. Sigh. He then turned to the "hard sell." He blew it right off the bat when he told me "I can see you're worried about the cost" (not it at all - I had no use for magic nail and hand purifier (patent pending)). He calls me over closer to him - as if he was being surveiled by someone. He told me *gasp* I would get his price on it! He pulled out receipts of other people to prove to me the price they were paying (for what point, I'm not sure) and then asked me to make him a deal. He'd give me "his" price as long as I told people about the place and some other crap. He then punched in the secret price into a calculator so no one would see it, as if seeing it would cause mobs of people to rush the kiosk. Lucky me!! $19.99! Shhhh! Don't tell!!

By then I was REALLY annoyed, for many a reason - such as when I checked my phone because I thought I had a message (he made a comment on that), and such as his just overall creepy aura about him (whispering and calling me over close to him). I told him AGAIN I'd get back to him and high tailed it out of there, giving him a dirty look all the while and shaking my head. He looked as if I just stabbed him in the back.

I then proceeded to walk outside to pass him on the way back. I came in on the other side of the mall and passed another kiosk selling the same stuff. One salesperson there tried to stop me, but I kept on walking.

To this salesperson, I say this. I don't care how wonderfully amazing your product is. I don't care that it's all natural. That it will make my hands look great. That it will make a great gift. That I'm saving so much money. That going to a manicurist is expensive. The second you start monopolizing my time, chiding my attempt to check my messages, and just overall being a creep, that's when you lose a sale. Had to you taken my comment to "get back to you" to heart the first time, I might have had a better reaction to you. You could have gone "I understand, take some time to think about it, we'll be here," I would have had some respect for you. But then you begged. Bad move.

By the way, I can't get the bloody scent off my hands, and the lotion was greasy as a fish sandwich from McDonald's.