Frank Clarici wrote:
>The convention
>center people have put a deadline on their contract papers of only a few
>days into July ...
Having been involved in sales, unless it is a government
contract bound by law, I find those deadlines are usually
intended to force the customer (you) into a decision. I
seriously doubt they have another group ready to commit
to those 120 rooms, otherwise they'd already be telling
you, "Sorry." If you gave them a check and asked to sign
a contract the day after their deadline, it would be a strong
salesperson who says, "No, you missed the deadline." As
a sales guy, I'd take a check today over a promise for a bigger
check tomorrow.
If you want to play the game, tell them you have commitments
from 100 people in just 3 days (or whatever numbers you feel
comfortable with), that you expect to get another 20 people
to commit, but a) you need more time to get the word out, or
b) you are going out of town and won't be back for two weeks,
at which point you expect to have the commitments. In other
words, come up with a story to buy yourself some time.
If the sales person is hungry enough, they'll give you the time.
Even if they have another customer looking at the same rooms
for the same block of time. You've probably heard the line, "If
you don't buy this rusted out Bugeye right now, I have someone
coming to look at it this afternoon, and they have the cash,"
intended to get you to commit. As they say, if you have no skin
in the game (i.e., you have no money on the table), you're not
really in the game. They want you to have some skin in the
game.
Call their bluff.
At least, that's my $0.02, and it's advice worth every penny.
HTH,
Kent
'56 100 BN2
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