Out on my run this morning and was inspired to write…about scammers…..

I was at the shopping mall last week and was overtly and aggressively stopped by one of the kiosk employees wanting to show me the latest beauty product for under-eye wrinkles. She started with a couple of compliments – to catch me – get eye contact. Then it is the….let me show you…..she preceded to show me some under-eye cream – it was supposed to make me look 20 years younger – a sell tactic that tries to make a woman doubt herself – does she look old? Wow – I thought I looked pretty good! Haha! There is a lot of subtle gaslighting and the hard sell and the push to get you to purchase quickly before you have a chance to think about it. And the – “oh I’m going to go to my boss and see if he will let me give you a better discount”….when I said I had no intention of buying she said “ok – by” in a curt way and quickly turned her back to move on to the next person walking by.

Actually, I do feel sorry for this woman salesperson – she was probably misled about how much money she could make and how easy it would be to sell – given a script to push people into buying. I looked this company up afterwards on google and found so many complaints about their scamming – pushing people into buying expensive products that actually don’t do what they say they do. Some clients stating that the products demonstrated are not actually what you get in the bottle you buy.

I was in sales for many, many years….and I was a very good salesperson. Not because I pushed people into things – not because I was scamming people with compliments and false claims, but because I was talented at what I was doing. I also believed in the products or service I was selling. I could never sell something I didn’t believe in. And I don’t believe in pushing people into things before they have a chance to think it over. I wanted people to be satisfied and happy with what they purchased, no matter what it was. My reputation is very important to me – and I believe in acting with integrity and ethics.

It makes me sick to watch people in sales trying to scam others. It makes the profession as a whole look bad. It also makes me sick to see companies recruiting people to sell their products – promising riches and freedom, you can have your own business, etc. Yes, your own business that happens to make them money! I have been approached more times than I can count by companies like this and I know the game. I have not met one person that was actually getting rich or even making that much money. I did meet people that were helping others get rich. Even when I was doing well in sales in more reputable positions, I was helping others higher up in the company get rich. Yes, I was getting paid a pretty decent commission, but they were getting much, much more. I feel bad for the people these companies go after – people innocently wanting a better life – something they may not be getting at their 9-5 job. That’s a sad thing.

As I watched this happen over the years, I made a promise to myself that I was going to work for myself and on my own behalf – to have my own business. I would then be doing the work and spending my energy to help myself rather than someone else at the top benefiting from my talents. I will not give my talents or energy away for some pie in the sky promise. I am practical and rational about that. I expect no one to give me anything that seems out of proportion to what I should be getting or too good to be true. I expect to work hard and I expect to charge a fair amount for that hard work. Another unfortunate thing I have also seen is “business gurus” coaching people to charge crazy amounts of money for their expertise. Something else that makes me sick and my blood boil.

I am not about putting myself above others because of my education or the money I earn. I am about helping those that need what I know – I work with people who have insurance because most people cannot afford therapy out of pocket. I feel it is my duty to provide good therapy for all people. It is my responsibility to use my gifts to serve others, whoever they may be – not out of greed, but because I believe in being a good human being.

It takes a lot to impress me. I am not impressed by people with a lot of money – I never have been. I am impressed, however, with people’s humanity. I am impressed with people like the migrant workers who travel in dangerous situations to get here to the U.S. – breaking their backs and bodies in horrible conditions picking fruit for us entitled people to eat – all in order to provide for their families at home. That is what impresses me. That is courage and love of family. If you want a good book to read – here is one for you…we in the U.S. complain about wearing masks – god – so entitled. We need to get over ourselves…