I Like to Buy, but Don't Sell Me.

Before the Women's Expo opened yesterday, I had a few minutes to travel to other booths. I stopped at several entrepreneurs and took photos of their displays; some ideas are worth adapting! I bought a few things from different vendors and felt great that I was helping them out and I was getting a good "insider's vendor price."

I went back to my booth happy with my purchases.

A 50-something male vendor came to my booth. It was pretty evident that he singled me out because I was wearing a suit and because I was male. He bypassed all of the female vendors and anyone who was dressed in jeans. Immediately my guard was up.

After about 10 minutes of pointless small talk, I started giving him verbal clues that this conversation was over. Sensing that I had nothing else to share with him, he immediately said, "Do you have a financial adviser?" and then handed me his card and launched into his spchiel.

Had I approached his booth, that might have been one thing. If he was actual able to approach me without me knowing that I was being singled out because of the way I dressed, I might have been caught unaware.  Over and over I remembered this piece of advice:

Customers love to buy. Customers hate being sold.