Sunday, October 14, 2007

Avoid the Salesperson

When you walk into a retail store, you are often greeted with a smile and a hello from the salesperson. Quite often, the next thing you hear is, "Is there anything I can help you with" or "Let me know if you need anything". If you are like me, you avoid eye contact, head the other way, and flash the "I'm just looking" smile. This is all fine if you don't have a goal and you are in fact simply browsing for fun, but I've learned something lately.

If you are looking for something specific, even if you don't quite know what that is yet, the salespeople are actually there to help you. Maybe you are looking for a gift for somebody; you describe that person and some ideas you have, and they can help narrow down your options. At the very least they can steer you to the section of the store where you can find what you are looking for.

It works for anything: clothes, jewelry, even cheese! Next time you step up to the cheese counter and don't know what you want ask the person standing behind the counter what he/she would recommend. They will blow you away with their knowledge of cheese.

You'd better believe the same thing goes for house hunting. When you walk into an open house, the salesperson standing there is not only an expert on that house; they are an expert in the San Francisco real estate market. They know the neighborhoods and what it costs to live in each one. They are a resource for you and have the ability to help you find what you are looking for; even if you don't quite know what that is yet.

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