TONGAN UPDATE JULY 27, 2008 GOOD SALES TECHNIQUES

Tongan Update, 27 July 2008, Good “Sale” Techniques

Today I met two very cute con-artists. They were a couple of plump Tongan grandmas sitting right smack in the middle of the sidewalk pedaling their wares of hand-made bracelets, necklaces, and earrings which were spread out on the sidewalk similar to the Navaho sellers you have seen at rest stops along Interstate 15 in the Southwestern states.

I was taking my daily trip to the post office when I had to skirt around these ladies or step on them. (Good sales technique #1: do something to catch your potential customer’s attention.)

All smiles, these bubbly little women questioned me about where I was from and about my family. I fell for it, and proceeded to tell them all about home, my children, and grandchildren. (Good sales technique #2: appeal to the potential customer’s emotions.)

Then they each gave me a free shell necklace. “A souvenir from Tonga to show my family when I get home,” they charmingly said. Oh, what seemingly nice ladies!

Next they each clasped a bracelet onto my wrists. Admiring the strung shells, I profusely thanked the sweet grandmas. (Technique #3: make the victim think she is getting something for nothing.)

Then they dropped the hammer, “Oh, the necklaces are free, but you have to pay for the bracelets.”

What do you do? I was all ready wearing the necklaces and the bracelets so I felt obligated to buy the Tongan goods…so, I did…5 pa’anga each.

I again thanked the gals profusely and went my merry way knowing that I had just been worked over by two very delightful schemers.

‘Ofa ‘atu, Diane and John

P.S. We had a missionary, Elder Bibber, who received two letters a week his entire mission from his mother. We often wondered what his mother could possibly find to write when she wrote that often. Maybe her letters were similar to this one—just little every-day experiences.