Last week, I walked into Best Buy after I got off work. I planned to buy a thousand dollar graphics tablet.

I had seen this particular tablet in this store on several occasions…that day I intended to buy it.

I walked all around the computer area, but couldn’t find the tablet. I don’t like to be bugged by sales people, so I didn’t seek their help until I gave up looking on my own.

Christmas Season Sales Avoidance

When it came time to ask for help, one fellow rushed past me with a determined look on his face, as though he were on a serious mission. Fine. I went to the next blue shirt, but he was busy gabbing with a customer. He had been doing this since I walked into the store and from what I overheard, they were just shooting the breeze. No selling was going on between these two.

So, I walked around the computer section again…maybe I missed it. I thought this would give the blue shirts enough time to finish their missions and chit chats.

Nope…the first guy was still just as mission-minded and plodding away on his computer terminal…probably looking up the price for an out of stock USB cable.

Mr. Chit Chat was still discussing the weather and who knows what with Mr. Customer. So, I stepped up and tried to wait my turn. Still they chatted. But, it seemed it was winding down, so I jumped in after I thought Mr. Customer had spoken his last. Well, I jumped in a bit hastily and stepped on his last few words. I asked the attendant about the graphics tablet, but this blue shirt decided I overstepped the line and instantly became every school teacher I ever hated.

“He was talking to me, you know,” he stated with annoyance.

My blood started to boil at once. “You know what? Screw you, ” I said, and charged off to find some real assistance.

Mr. Mission was still huffing away at this keyboard and I figured all the other blue shirts would just direct me right back to the computer department.

White Shirt Intervention…Or So I Hoped

So off I went to the customer service desk.

Ah, a white shirt stood waiting behind the counter. Surely he would want to know what had happened.

“You just lost a thousand dollar sale,” I began. This grabbed his attention.

I was polite to the white shirt, but laid out for him the story I just told you.

After I finished, he said, “Well, if you want something done about this, you’ll have to talk to him,” and pointed to another blue shirt who was on the phone. Apparently I mistook a white shirt for authority.

Enough Already!

At this point I’d had enough. I didn’t want to tell my story again, and they clearly didn’t have the graphics tablet I was looking for. So I told Mr. White Shirt to forget about it and I walked out of the store, anger intact.

My Rationale

Perhaps I was unreasonable. Maybe I acted rashly without thinking. But I’m the one with the thousand bucks just waiting to put it into their pockets. And yes, I did step on that other customer’s last words. But I didn’t hear any commercial intent in that conversation, so I placed a higher value on my desire to buy than their desire to jawbone.

My possible rudeness aside, I believe I was right…me and my thousand bucks.

So what did I learn from this?

The Sale Can’t Wait

When you have a customer who has a pent up urge to dump money into your wallet, get out of the way and let him!

The Sale Is The Reason You’re There

And don’t ever, and I mean never make your prospects, customers, or clients feel like they’re intruding on your time…especially when you’re just goofing off or wasting valuable selling time. And even if your customer is verbally clumsy or rude, if he’s trying to hand you bucks, try not to let your thirst for judgment ruin the deal.

Afterlogue

So, in the end I decided against buying the nifty graphics tablet. At least for now. I have an ordinary one, so I can still do the things I have in mind. Just with a bit less grace. But that’s okay for now…I’ve saved a thousand dollars and have my sites set on a far less expensive flip video camera.