Sales Talk

We're getting in quotes on replacement windows.

Tuesday a guy came round, measured up, said he'd put a quote in the post for us- and was gone in 20 minutes. That's what we want.

Yesterday a second guy came round and, in spite of us telling him we didn't have the money, that we were applying for a grant, that there was no way we'd sign on the spot, tried to hustle us into closing the deal. He was here for two hours. He was hawking a good product and, if he hadn't been so pushy, might well have got our business. As it is, no way!

When a salesman starts off his spiel by telling you he isn't a salesman you know you're in for the hard sell. I think these guys need to wise up. We've seen the hidden camera footage of salesmen in training , we've watched Glengarry Glenross, we know the secrets- and for every potential customer who falls for the patter there must be another who's repulsed by it.

What We Did Last Saturday

This is Sudbury Hall. We stopped here on the way home last Saturday. The house is 17th century and grand and cold and echoey. The servant's wing houses a charming Museum of Childhood- where we sat for fifteen minutes in a mock-up of a late Victorian schoolroom and got to write on slates and practice our seven times table.



The church- just off to the side of the house- is mostly 19th century restoration, but I managed to find this charming (15th century?) angel on the north wall.