So, if you have been in the Student Union recently you have probably been asked if you have bought your Johnnyswim ticket yet. I know for the past few weeks Stonebridge has had their table set up and they have been selling tickets like it is nobody’s business. My own roommate went to their table the day it opened to get a ticket because she is a huge Johnnyswim fan. I, however, didn’t have any real desire to spend 20 dollars to buy a ticket to a band I didn’t really know anything about. How then, did I end up purchasing one?

Well, the answer to that question would be Emily Stein and Ethan Hayward. I had really not planned on buying a ticket because I didn’t want to get stuck with them and then not be able to attend because of school event, formal, or retreat that I would have to attend instead. So, day after day I would see Emily Stein sitting at the table and she would Ask the same question and I would give the same reply of no. This went on for several weeks until last Thursday. I entered the Student Union and Emily accosted me as usual. I gave her every excuse I had already used. I don’t want to spend the money. She answered by explaining the discounts students get. I told her I didn’t really know the band that well and she made me listen to them right there with her. I said I wasn’t sure if I would be around the weekend they were preforming. This is where Ethan Hayward swooped in and said, ” Well buy the tickets now for 20 and then if you can’t make it sell them to someone at the last minute who wants to go, because the day of the show they are 35 dollars so someone will totally buy yours for 20.” Honestly, I hadn’t really thought about that, and that suggestion made me feel more comfortable with the purchase.

At the end of the day I bought the ticket. Now, I would definitely classify Emily Stein as the pushy sales-person. She is a straight-to-point kind of person. However, it worked for her because she knew me, had a relationship with me, and knew how to talk to me specifically. Emily had made a connection and was persistent, and Ethan was able to address one of my biggest concerns. Together, they were able to make me feel comfortable about parting with my money and I don’t know if their approaches would work in the everyday business world, but it certainly worked at Grove City.

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