As a European, who recently moved to the US I feel there are many things that I have to learn. One of those things is to learning how to say “no”. It seems easy enough to do, after all any two year old can say it, but I have recently discovered that “saying no” is not so easy to implement.
Allow me to explain with this real life example. A few days ago, I walked into a Potbelly’s, the one in Bay Shore Mall, planning to buy a sandwich. An instant later I was walking out with a large size sandwich, a banana milkshake, an enormous chocolate chip cookie and a bag of chips, spending 3 times the intended amount of money on 3 times the intended amount of calories. I found myself standing in the street wondering what just happened. It soon dawned on me; I had been the victim of the American talent to sell me things I don’t really need. Although I walked into that sandwich shop planning to buy a simple sandwich, I had underestimated this mission.
It all started by ordering the sandwich and the friendly person behind the counter informing me of the fact that for only one additional dollar I could have a large instead of a regular size sandwich. Feeling really hungry at the time, that sounded like a great suggestion and I kindly said “yes”. Then this friendly Potbelly employee asked me if perhaps I wanted a soup or milkshake with that order. Just hearing the word milkshake made my mouth water, after all how long had it been since I last enjoyed a delicious banana milkshake? I felt I was long overdue for one, so I happily answered “yes”, again. So far, due to the good sales skills of the gentleman behind the counter the score was Potbelly 2 – Elien 0, and the game was far from over. While I waited for my sandwich to toast, I slowly moved along the line of customers on my way to the register. All this time I had nothing to do but gaze at dozens of bags of chips and couldn’t refrain myself from grabbing one, not for now, but for later. Then as I finally arrived at the register and had my debit card ready I was delivered the final blow, the coup de grace… As my hand reached across the register to pay the girl, I stood face to face with the most delicious looking cookie in the world.
Americans can make spending money a joy. They make you feel like you are special. They know that by making you feel loved they make that little voice in the back of your head telling you not to have the delicious cookie go away, cause how could you possibly refuse the cookie when it’s offered with such a smile by a person behind the counter who makes you feel like you were childhood friends. They take a way the guilt of spending a fortune in a single store.
It is no secret that the US is the heaviest nation in the world, but after my recent experience in Potbelly’s this no longer strikes me as surprising. It is the inevitable consequence of its talent to sell.
And it goes far beyond selling you food. Stores like Alterra by the lake, take it to a whole new level. The people at Alterra have you stand in line not only staring at the delicious, donuts, muffins, cookies and so alike, but also have you gaze at cups, T shirts, and a ton of other memorabilia that could later remind you of the fun time you had drinking coffee at Alterra. You could easily spend 50 bucks in a coffee place, simply unbelievable and pure genius to say the least.
I am new to this. I have done my share of traveling, form South East Asia to Latin America and obviously Europe, but I have to say Americans are the best salesmen, the best marketers. This can only mean one thing, if I want to survive in this country I have learn how to say “no”.
- Elien -
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