Principles of salesmanship

A good rule of thumb when trying to sell things: If you think a potential customer may not have much money, and you’re especially polite to them anyway, that’s a good thing. If you think they may not have much money and you’re rude to them, that’s a bad thing. These two effects are magnified if you guess wrong: especial politeness to a customer who turns out to have money will make them happy. Especial rudeness to a customer who turns out to have money will make them take their money elsewhere.

On a completely unrelated note, if you’re ever buying a car, you may want to give Stevens Creek Acura in San Jose a miss.

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Published in: on December 23, 2004 at 16:40  Comments (16)  
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16 Comments

  1. You’re finally buying a new car? 🙂 What are you looking at?

  2. You’re finally buying a new car? 🙂 What are you looking at?

  3. Considering it. 🙂 Right now my biggest interest is in some models of Acura, but it depends on whether I can get a recent used model with a stick shift. Other possibilities may be a Subaru of some sort.

  4. Considering it. 🙂 Right now my biggest interest is in some models of Acura, but it depends on whether I can get a recent used model with a stick shift. Other possibilities may be a Subaru of some sort.

  5. I was not aware one could give a place a ‘miss’, but I shall keep that in mind.

  6. I was not aware one could give a place a ‘miss’, but I shall keep that in mind.

  7. Isn’t that a common English phrase? “Give foo a miss?”

  8. Isn’t that a common English phrase? “Give foo a miss?”

  9. I got a really super good deal after using the car buying advice at http://www.fool.com – check it out. I saved a couple of thousand when I bought my car, and I never talked to a salesperson except when I went in to sign my papers.

  10. I got a really super good deal after using the car buying advice at http://www.fool.com – check it out. I saved a couple of thousand when I bought my car, and I never talked to a salesperson except when I went in to sign my papers.

  11. If you want a high-touch Acura dealership, go to Hopkins Acura in Redwood City. When I was car shopping, they let me take an RSX on a really enjoyable drive up through the hills.

  12. If you want a high-touch Acura dealership, go to Hopkins Acura in Redwood City. When I was car shopping, they let me take an RSX on a really enjoyable drive up through the hills.

  13. It very well could be since apparently I am frequently not aware of common English phrases. Now, archaic English phrases? I’s got tha’ cover’d, foo!
    When I read that I thought of ‘give X a try’ and could therefore easily extrapolate it as a play off of that, but I have never heard the phrase that I can think of.
    *shrug*

  14. It very well could be since apparently I am frequently not aware of common English phrases. Now, archaic English phrases? I’s got tha’ cover’d, foo!
    When I read that I thought of ‘give X a try’ and could therefore easily extrapolate it as a play off of that, but I have never heard the phrase that I can think of.
    *shrug*

  15. I will keep that in mind.

  16. I will keep that in mind.


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