I spent spring break in Guatemala on a short-term missions trip. On the way back from where we stayed and were serving, the team did a short stop in Antigua, Guatemala – a place well know for shopping. It was interesting walking through the colorful booths that locals had set up with their hand-crafted textile products, trinkets, woodwork pottery and so much more. One thing I found very interesting is observing how the Guatemalans approached sales. They used some of the same principles that we are learning, but also very different ones. First of all, almost all the owners we talked to knew a lot of English. Many were very intentional about establishing a connection with me before talking to me about any of what they were selling. They asked why I was visiting Guatemala, how long I would be here, and after a brief conversation would ask what I was looking for. The culture in Guatemala is to barter for prices, but often times I felt bad bartering for a lower price because they were all so nice! I think part of it was the nature of them being in a sales role, but also just because Guatemalans are in general a kind and welcoming people.
On the flip side, I definitely encountered the opposite situation. I would just walk by a booth sometimes and would hear calling after me, “look, look! We have jerseys, bracelets, mugs, blankets…All very beautiful! Which would you like, what are you looking for?” All without me giving any indication that I wanted to buy anything from them. Those type of owners made me want to walk a little faster.
BoweryJE22
This is so interesting, how their selling strategies can be the same and different. I think this example of your experience is relative to the types of sellers everywhere, as the good vs. bad sales strategies are universal.