Yonatan Zunger (zunger) wrote,
Yonatan Zunger
zunger

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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  • 8 comments

gaaneden

December 24 2004, 01:04:00 UTC 11 years ago

You're finally buying a new car? :) What are you looking at?

zunger

December 24 2004, 01:34:39 UTC 11 years ago

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.

troglodyteking

December 24 2004, 01:38:27 UTC 11 years ago

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

zunger

December 24 2004, 01:47:12 UTC 11 years ago

Isn't that a common English phrase? "Give foo a miss?"

troglodyteking

December 24 2004, 19:25:34 UTC 11 years ago

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*

tyrsalvia

December 24 2004, 02:26:45 UTC 11 years ago

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.

hansandersen

December 24 2004, 08:11:14 UTC 11 years ago

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.

zunger

December 25 2004, 10:12:34 UTC 11 years ago

I will keep that in mind.