I used to get that kind of crap back when I sold cars. We had weekly sales meetings, and every 4-8 weeks, they'd spring some special "surprise" on us. The sales meetings were lame enough as it is. Talk to us like we're 12 for 58 minutes, then attempt to get us pumped up to sell cars for 2. ****, you want me to sell cars, quit taking me off the floor for an hour.
Of course, most of the crap they sprung on us was never requested by us, and most of it we'd have to pay for ourselves. Great, so you're not only taking me off the floor for an hour, but once again, you've ambushed me...WITH A SALESMAN. This kind of logic actually runs car dealerships. Teach you how to get into the customers' heads, close deals, etc., then they bring someone in to try to sell you something you don't need ("Make money petting kitties at home!").
The worst, however, asked for feedback one such ambushmeeting. Boss sitting right there, I didn't feel like getting my ass chewed about all new stuff, so I tried to play along. The salesman (I forget what he was selling...salsa-flavored windshield fluid?), ridiculed my answer.
Yeah, that's a hell of a sales technique. Mock your customer. From that point on, I refused to utter a word. He had his sales-psycho crap, like "just fill this out, just to get you thinking about it, don't sign it". I didn't lift a finger.
I'll say this, however. At least the people coming through trying to get us to buy into insurance, retirement schemes, etc., were usually pretty decent. Didn't get a cent of mine, but co-workers actually signed up for things like cancer insurance, dismemberment insurance, etc. I was always stunned that these sales geniuses bought this stuff.
Now that I'm the boss, with employees of my own? I get pestered by the same sort of people, although they want my time and want me to conscript employees. *sigh* It never ends, you just become a bigger fish in the chain.
