Hard selling kills (me)

Many people have heard about Dead Sea V&M products. V&M stands for Vardi & Migdal. They have cosmetic and skin care products. As far as I know, they operate through push carts in shopping malls, and not shop fronts. They have push carts in Parkway, Vivocity, Wisma Atria, Suntec City and Raffles City and not sure where else.

Usually the sales persons manning the push carts are caucasians or foreigners, and they are really over-zealous to the verge of being pushy. A long time ago, I was once accosted by a middle-eastern looking guy in Suntec City who grabbed my hand as I was walking passed and said he just wanted to show me something. He took out this nail buffer which had 3 sides with 3 different colours (blue, grey, white), the texture from rough to smooth. He used all 3 sides to buff my nails, from rough to smooth side. Indeed my nails were very shiny and smooth afterwards. I was impressed and almost sold. He then  started promoting the skin lotion and what-nots which I was not really interested. In the end, I just bought the nail buffer as an escape bid for me. Otherwise if I did not get away, I think I would have been conned to buy more stuff.

Another time in Wisma Atria, I was at the ATM withdrawing cash, and the V&M pushcart was just next to the ATM machine. As I expected, just when I finished with the ATM, before I could even turn, the lady sales person was already eyeing me and started her pitch "Excuse me, miss.....". I just turned and walked the other way. I did not mean to be rude, but I really felt harassed and I already had the same encounter a few times from this brand (so what even if their products are really good). I do not want to be judgemental and maybe their over zealous sales approach does work, but I would think in general, we Asians are more conservative and do not like to be coerced harrassed into buying something we do not really need. I know I could have been firm and said no, but they persisted and persisted, and I always ended up buying out of pity.

To me, it was ultimately like begging. I do not like that. I have been a sales person for the longest time (although not a retail sales person) but I do not advocate aggressive selling. I always believe, if your product or service is that fantastic, your clients will come back. Hard selling will not do. Even if you manage to clinch a deal the first time, you may not be so lucky the second time. Like me in this case, now whenever I sight any V&M push carts at a distance, I will turn away and scram.

Suggestions for these aggressive jokers:
1. Look into a new niche market - the men. Get your sales girls to dress seductively and try to accost a guy and rub your skin lotion on his hand. He had be so delightfully shocked dazed by the touch and will definitely buy a dozen for his wife, girlfriends or any woman. Trust me. Just make sure his woman is not besides him.

2. Set up online blogshop promoting your darn good products. Lady consumers nowadays are so spoilt for choice, that all you need is their attention 24/7. And blogshops are 24/7. Provide personal home delivery as an add-on service, so the client gets to try the products on the spot and maybe buy more.

3. Hold extensive promotions in conjunction with retail giants like Watsons, Giant, Guardian, or any department store. The best is get a celebrity as an ambassador or something. Also, connect with and have joint promotions with the well-known spas or mani-pedi shops (if they do not already have their own in-house products), all your potential distributors.

4. Send your good salesmen and saleswomen to the HDB heartlands and coerce cajole the older aunties and housewives instead. Aunties just need to hear flattering words but be prepared to give huge discounts and haggling over prices. And you may need to send your men and women for Singlish classes.

If all else fails, look for bloggers like moi, who can perhaps (god willing) give you a good review (provided you give moi loads of freebies or even paid reviews). However, if your existing sales revenues are already earth-shattering, carry on strutting your stuff, but just leave me alone. Ahem.

Ok, I am just babbling for fun. BTW, the nail buffer I bought, lasted only maybe a few rounds, then it became a useless normal nail buffer again. No more shine, dude.