Saturday, March 24, 2007

'Nice-Pressure' Sales

We all know about high pressure sales. Where you feel like you are being stalked the moment you enter the door..the sales person sizes you up..circles inward..and blurts out
"Hi! Welcome to ..blah.. Can I help you? This would look great on you/is a great gadget/is a popular movie/is an electronic you NEED to have to keep up with the Jones''

This, luckily, never seems to really happen at either of my LYSs. No, there I'm put under 'Nice-Pressure' Sales.

Example. I went into my LYS to order some more of a yarn for a project. I wasn't going to spend a DIME. (You there, quit laughing.)

And so it begins...

"Hi Lynn!"
Because every good LYS employee knows your name, your entire family's sweater sizes, what yarn you covet, what yarn you don't like, your favorite color...etc.

"Hi! I came into order some yarn. Can I look at the book so I can pick colors."

"Of course!" Plunking huge binder full of color cards in my lap.

I blissfully continue, feeling sure I'm going to put in my order and escape.

"I'd like these colors please."

"Hmm. You know we are really trying not to put in a ton of color orders from that distributer because we just got a shipment. What are you making?"

"This project"

"Well I'm sure we can find some substitution yarn for you!"
And off she plunges into the store, hanks and skeins flying over her shoulder as she goes.

"How about this? Or this? Oh, this would be a lovely texture difference."

20 minutes later I walk out with a serious dent in my wallet and my head spinning.

You know the feeling. The nice guilt..

"I'd hate not to buy anything. She's been so nice. So helpful. I'd hate to walk back through the store and plunk these back on the shelf."

Forget high-pressured sales, 'nice-pressure' sales get me everytime. *sigh*


Anyway, I'm in the middle of the heel on the 2nd monsoon sock!