Warning Signs

A couple of weeks ago I bought a pirated Vietnamese phrasebook from a street vendor.

He had an interesting sales approach, too. Once he’d locked me in for the first sale, he started his cross-sell technique:

“How about Lonely Planet book? Lonely Planet Vietnam?”

-- “No I’m OK. Thanks. Just the phrase book.”

“Some other book? Cambodia? Lao?”

-- “No I have other travel books. Just this is OK. Thanks. No time to read so much”  [humble potato smile]

“How about cocaine? You want cocaine?”

-- “Oh. Umm. No thanks.”

“No? Sure?

-- “Sure.”

Heroin? You want heroin?”

-- “Oh. Umm. No thanks. Just the book thanks. I’m off to dinner now.”

“Sexy Lady? Massage?”

-- “Oh. Umm. No thanks.”

I paid my $4 and we bid each other farewell.

I really have to wonder what was happening in the Cross-sell Skills Workshop he attended. Surely postcards would have been a more practical step? 

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