Pushy Salesmen

I am not a salesman (or woman, whatever the proper terminology for it in today's world). I am not assertive enough, and I'm certainly not pushy or aggressive. There are those who can sell ice to an Eskimo and make him feel good about his purchase. Not me. Even if I totally believed in the product and thought it to be the best invention in history, I can imagine myself timidly asking, "You don't really want this, do you?".

But I can get aggressive if I'm pushed. I took a call at work one day when a woman claiming to be with the service company for my copier told me she was updating my file and could I please verify the serial number they had for me. I said, "Sure! What number do you have on file?". She paused, called me the B word and hung up. A few moments later she called back and when I answered she called me the B word again. Oh well, a little B word never hurt anybody.

The pushy salesman yesterday rang my doorbell and told me he was roofing houses in my neighborhood. Now, I seldom answer my door. If I don't recognize the car and I'm not expecting someone, I ignore bells and knocks. This time, however, I thought it might be someone for Robin, who was in the back yard working. I have a doormat on my front porch that says "Leave". It's a joke, of course, and I guess everyone takes it as such since I still get the solicitors. Note to self: buy a no solicitors sign.

This guy was a fast talker. I'm not saying he wasn't with a very legitimate company. He claims his company is displaying signs in yards all through the neighborhood. He might be an upstanding fellow. I'm just saying he was a fast talker and I had trouble getting a word in. Finally, I interrupted and told him in the present economy, we weren't putting on a new roof.

"Oh, no! Insurance will pay for it!"

"In the present economy, I don't want to pay a deductible right now."

"Oh, no! Your deductible will be figured into our price. This will cost you nothing. I'll meet with the insurance adjuster myself. You know, you can't put new shingles over old wooden ones, so we will take off all the shingles, add a radiant barrier which is energy efficient and gives you a good tax break on your return."

I'm wondering which insurance company pays for roof damage and decides to throw in a radiant barrier, just to be nice.

The conversation continues with few breaks to allow me to politely refuse his services and close my door. This guy's determined to get the sale. I held up my hand and interrupted him again.

"Let me explain how I do things. First, if I needed a new roof I would have called you, instead of you appearing on my doorstep telling me I need your service. Secondly, I don't make major decisions on my front porch, on the spur of the moment."

"Thank you." He turned quickly and walked off. He might have even thought of the B word.