On wolf_garcia, shadrone, slaw and a few other naysayers ...
They remind me of my brother. He's one of the biggest skeptics on the planet. Its a personality type where their biggest fear is being taken advantage of.
To them, everything is either a conspiracy, a scam, or something else nefariously designed to cheat them out of their hard earned money. They suspect everyone, including their doctors, their real estate agents, and anyone who pats them on the back. They have the persona of a "Mr. Full Charge." If they're not in control of a given situation, they feel out of control.Â
Where most people have to like you before they trust you, these folks have to trust you before they like you. The biggest mistake a salesperson can make with these people is to try to glad-hand them. If you do, their first thought is ... "What is this guy trying to get out of me?"Â you can see it almost immediately. Their eyes narrow, they cross their arms and legs and frown like frowns are going to leave the planet.
The best approach is to just let them be in charge ... let them lead. Let them think that everything is their idea. Let them tell you what's needed. If you tell them, they think you're lying. If they tell you, they know that THEY don't lie ... so all is okay.Â
They make great cops ... and I'm not dissing cops here either. I have a LEO for a son in law, and my brother is a retired California Highway Patrolman. Both great guys. Both have a jaundiced eye and both can scope out the suspicious among us in a nano-second. Hell to deal with if you're a salesman or a proprietor of a business of any type though. To them, everyone is lying. Everything is a scam. Nothing is worth the asking price ... and you are not going to tell them jack ... they will tell YOU.Â
They miss out on a lot of joy in life because of their suspicious nature. Sometimes, you just have to trust the other guy and believe that most people are honest and upright ... until they prove themselves otherwise.
Frank
