I would like to take a moment to step away from my fictional stories,
silly job-related moments and angry rants to share this with you.

	 I received a call from a telemarketer this afternoon. No, wait, stay with
me for a moment. This lady, who had a very strong, Asian sounding accent asked for a
"Mister Jesse Smith".
	"Speaking," I said. Already I could tell where this was going.
	The lady introduced herself, told me she was calling on behalf of
a bank which would like to give me a Master Card. Now this is usually where
the ninety second spiel starts, however I was to be pleasantly surprised.
	There was a polite pause while I digested what had just be said. Already
on the defencive I replied, "I don't recall requesting a Master Card," which
was true enough.
	"Yes, sir," she answered, "but based on your credit rating, we would like
to sign you up for our low-interest, no-annual-fee Master Card. We could fill
out the application and have it to you within a month if you'd like."
	Again, there was a pause. It had come across as a question, rather than
a demand or a push to sell. Almost (brace for it) like an offer!
	"Thank you, but no," I said, "I'm not interested in having a Master Card at
this time."
	Was there a list of benefits given why I simply must have a Master Card? No.
A warning that this was to be a limited time offer? No. The lady, still strong accent,
thanked me for my time and wished me a nice day. A wish I was happy to return.

	Now, in all honesty, I don't recall which bank the lady represented. However,
I do wish other companies, specifically the bank and credit card companies with whom
I conduct my business, would follow this excellent example. I have specifically asked
my bank to stop having sales people contact me because they have always been pushy,
non-pause, demanding sales people. People who did not make me wish to continue doing
business with their companies. But this lady today showed class. She gave me time to
think, to reply and to ask questions. No demands were made and even though she spoke
with an accent, she did so slowly and clearly.

	Dear Companies, these are the points your sales people should have. These are
the skills which would have kept you off my block-caller list. Take heed.