The other day I went to the mall looking for a specific piece of jewelry for my girlfriend. I knew what I wanted. I knew the type but had no clue about price or features of the jewelry. While I was there I ran into 3 different salespeople. 

The first salesperson I met information dumped on me. She THOUGHT she knew what I wanted. She insisted I wanted this and wanted that. She loaded information on me. Honestly, she taught me a lot about what I was looking for but delivered it terribly. She educated me on the product. After she talked at me for 30 minutes I began to get frustrated. I was boiling inside. I needed to get out of this situation. So I did what every salesperson hates but everyone who isn’t that interested does. I asked for her information and left. I will never buy from this type of salesperson. She did no listening, all talking, and pressured me in all the wrong ways. 

The second salesperson was exactly what I was looking for. He was funny, asked me what I was looking for, pointed me in the right direction and insisted/recommended what I should do next. I enjoyed this interaction so much more. Especially after the terrible time I had 5 minutes prior. I liked this type of salesperson. 

The last salesperson I interacted with was good. She was very helpful, courteous of my time, and knowledgeable. She pointed me in the right direction and helped me understand why the prices were what they were. She was nice but was missing something. Maybe it was energy or enthusiasm. Either way I ended he conversation asking for her information and left my email address. She told me she would email me and I haven’t heard anything since our interaction. I know know what she was missing: confidence. 

Which salesperson did I buy from? The second salesperson. His prices were higher and his product was similar. It didn’t matter. I liked this salesperson. I realized how important that is. People buy from people they like. The other salespeople had better products, better prices, and better selection. That had no impact on my decision.  

Go be sold by someone. It sucks. We want someone who’s helpful, charismatic, and listens well. 

It’s an important lesson to take from all of this: We buy from people we like.