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Subject:	Re: One of the problems being a skier: the WB Mason salesman
From:	David Merfeld <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:	Vermont Skiing Discussion and Snow Reports <[log in to unmask]>
Date:	Thu, 2 Jul 2015 19:10:05 +0000
Content-Type:	text/plain
Parts/Attachments:	text/plain (25 lines)

Over time years, I have mellowed on this one.  Years ago, I would have done what you did when I got a cold call, either in person on the telephone.  Although I still don’t let them make a sales pitch, I now take an extra 20 seconds and do it politely.  

A "no thanks", or a "gosh, I'm all set for office supplies", or an "I appreciate your offer, but I'm happy with my ISP/web hosting/copier ..." is pretty easy.  Most folks accept it and go away.  If they persist, I say something like:  "I know your job is tough, and I don’t want to be rude.  So, I'm giving you the chance to say goodbye.  Either you say goodbye and I hang up, or I just hang up.  It's up to you."  At that point, almost all of them accept the offer, say goodbye, and I end the conversation politely.  It's one in 50 that I have to actually hang up on mid-sentence.

-David Merfeld

P.S.  If I were you, I'd ask my daughter how to reach the guy, and send him a note with an apology.  Then you can stop beating yourself up.

-----Original Message-----

The list has been slow lately, so I thought I would throw this out there:

Yesterday I was trying to figure out a bug.  I am under the gun.  I have to fix this fast.  I was deep into thought, when our office doorbell rang.  Since my office is right next to the door, I tend to be the one who answers it.  When I opened it, I found a friendly young man in a suit.  He introduced himself and shook my hand.  Then he told me that he is a sales person for WB Mason.   They come here every month and I was not in the mood to deal with him.  So I closed the door and went back to my desk.  Doing so, I cut him off in mid-sentence.   I watched him, outside, walk away dejected.  To add insult to injury, it started to rain.

An hour later I get a text from my daughter in NJ "did you just shut the door on a salesman?".    Turns out, he coached with my daughter last winter.  Most weekends, he gave my daughter a ride to and from the mountain.  I even skied with him a few times.  Found him to be a nice person.  I enjoyed talking and hanging out with him.   Now I feel like a jerk.  If only he had come to the door wearing his helmet and goggles, and said "dude...".

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