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The Rock Dealer- How to Handle Pushy Salesmen

two beach vendors talking one is selliing sand buckes, shovels, and snorkles, the other is selling buckets and colorful floaties.
small jewelry boxes displaying pink quartz for sale similar to the boxes of rocks sold by the pushy salesmen in Namibia

Have you ever felt like your dream holiday was tarnished by a steady stream of pushy salesmen and bothersome vendors?  I respect anyone trying to make money and work with what they have, but every once in a while it becomes a little too much.

In Namibia, men pushing 
geodes and crystals on tourists are as common as hawkers unloading selfie sticks in front of the Eiffel Tower. 

One damp and dreary day, we parked at the beach near Walvis Bay, Namibia sitting in the Land Rover, admiring a shipwrecked vessel now ashore.  We’d been approached several times that gray morning by people, carefully balancing their cardboard beer flats with lovely sparkly crystals displayed side by side.  Maybe these vendors found them, maybe they invested in them, either way, we weren’t buying.

A man leaned on the door frame, right into my passenger window, and proudly presented us with his shimmering supply of gemstones.  He asked for us to buy some of his native Namibian minerals, fluorite perhaps.  He didn’t know what was coming.  

My partner excitedly reached into the back seat of the Landy and began pulling out handfuls of rocks, we collected over the past few weeks in the desert.  He eagerly reached across my chest to show the rock dealer and I was caught in the crosshairs.

“They just need a bit of shining and cleaning,”  U. exclaimed proudly peddling his rocks to the rock dealer outside.

“This one is a good one, look how big it is.”

“See this nice green one, it has such a pretty color.”

“If you give this a strong scrub, this one will be beautiful.”

“These you could definitely sell to some tourists, they’d love them.” 

“I’ll give you a really good rate.  One price for all of them.” 

The salesman was bewildered and insistent,

“No, I am the one selling rocks.  I don’t want your rocks.  You want MY rocks.”  

No deal was struck.  Amused, no richer, and still laden with rocks, we tossed a few fluorite* into the fire for good measure that night.

Our Namibian Rock in Hartman’s Valley

 

While updating this original blog post, I realized how relevant this story is to our current area in Colombia and how often this topic comes up in conversation by tourists, expats, and locals. 

El Rodadero is a Caribbean vacation destination for Colombians known for its warm weather, Costeno  lifestyle, good food, and convenience to Santa Marta.  

This little paradise also comes with a constant string of proposals for temporary tattoos, coffee, coconut candy, ceviche, arepas, fresh fruit, hats, snorkels, water shoes, sunglasses, bracelets, hair braids, massages, racks of clothes, beach floaties, pens, cigarettes… at all hours of the day.  And all this is conveniently brought directly to you on your beach blanket.  Everyone has been respectful and responsive and moves on when we say no thanks, but it can feel overwheming. 

Here we’ll explore creative and kind strategies for how to handle the situation while maintaining your peace, enjoyment, and personal boundaries on vacation.

Signs of Pushy Salesmen.

Pushy salesmen can exhibit different behaviors that can feel uncomfortable, irritating, and sometimes threatening.  Most often, what ellicits the feeling of pushiness, often comes down to multiple sales proposals in a short period of time (think of walking through a department store perfume aisle).  

  • The persistent fellow who won’t listen to a direct NO. 

  • A salesman who instills a sense of urgency and pressure.

  • The guilt-tripping salesman who shares their story of woe.

  • The upselling salesman who coerces you into something extra that you had no intention of buying.  

  • And the one I find the most exhausting and scary is ceaseless barrage of pushy salesmen invading your personal space all at once.  Including touching and grabbing your hands. arms, or belongings. 

Any of these situations can feel distressing, but there are ways to handle them with finesse. 

These vendors and salesmen are trying to hustle, they aren’t asking for handouts; they are selling merchandise people do buy.  What I’ve observed is that it comes down to how you perceive the interaction

In areas where there is high tourism, it can come with the territory and the market.  Incessant disruptions can feel like an annoyance, but their intentions aren’t to ruin your day, their motive is to earn a living.  Take each person as an independent agent looking to provide for themselves or their family. 

Understanding Cultural Differences & Valuing Cultural Diversity

Personal Space

Cultures where personal space is not widely recognized can feel overbearing.  Vendors/taxi drivers/ waiters can approach and sell their goods and services in a way that encroaches your personal boundaries, but this doesn’t mean they are hostile.  

Next time you are in a foreign country, look around the queue in the grocery store or for the ATM or even how other cultures may lean in to speak.  You can gain insight into the local mannerisms and what personal space looks like in different places.

Haggling

It is not uncommon to feel like a salesman is pushy in places where haggling and negotiating for goods is common like in Turkey, parts of Asia, Africa, and South America.  Coming from the US and parts of Europe where this sales technique happens less frequently, it can feel intimidating. 

An amusing way to appreciate the art of negotiating can be as a lighthearted, flirty repartee. 

Income Disparity

As a tourist, you are seen as a walking wallet.  You are seen as rich and while on vacation there is an expectation of frivolous spending.  No matter how tight the budget you still have more money than these vendors. 

In countries where wages are abominably low, competition is high, and tourists have driven up the cost of living, I believe it is our responsibility to treat these vendors with kindness, empathy, and intuition whether you buy anything or not.  These vendors are human beings.  They are working to support themselves. 

Assertive vs. Aggressive vs. Passive Agressive Behavior

The difference between assertive and aggressive behavior boils down to respect. 

Assertive actions get your point across in a clear, concise, confident, and respectful manner. 

Aggressive behavior bears little to no regard for the feelings of others. 

Passive agressive mechanisms commonly used by uncomfortable travelers is averting eye contact, keeping their heads down, or turning their cheek when a vendor approaches.  This behavior is unkind and not as effective as acknolwedgement and simply saying no. 

Here are some alternative tactics to manage the situation with confidence and poise.

11 Creative Approaches to Handling Salesmen

A young beach salesman smiliing wearing a basketball jersey and ball cap selling coconut and tamarind candy on the beach and it is wrapped up in plastic wrap
An older beach salesman in an orange shirt balances a metal bowl filled with coconut and tamarind candies for sale on a beach in Colombia

Speak Honestly

“Thanks, but no thanks, I’m not interested.”  They say the truth hurts, but this is the most direct approach. 

Start a Conversation

Take this opportunity to transform a trite interaction into a cultural learning experience. 

  • “Where are you from?”
  • “What brought you here?”
  • “How is your day?”
  • “Do you have a favorite beach, area, or park in this area? Why?”
  • “How long have you been here?
 
Maybe they are interested in having a conversation, or they want to move on to the next possible buying customer.  Either way, it’s engaging and acknowledging.

Humor and Playfulness

Keep it light and amusing.  Don’t take it so seriously. “If I ate every churro, coconut candy, and ceviche you guys offered, I would sink.”

“Wow, you look beautiful with so many hats.”

Mirroring Behavior

The story above was a great example of how you can play with the scenario. It is a lighthearted technique to reciprocate their tenacity.

Pointing Out the Obvious

If a vendor is selling sunglasses, a quick fix would be putting on your sunglasses and simply saying “I have these, thanks.” Or the price of coconut water is 4x what you would usually pay, “these prices must be the island prices.” 

If they ask, how much are you willing to pay?  You can decide to negotiate or “no, thanks” should do the trick.

Learn Local Phrases

This is a helpful practice while traveling abroad in any circumstance.  You are a visitor to someone else’s country, and communicating in the local language is polite and respectful.  A few good phrases to know are:

  • Greetings: hello, good morning….
  • Affirmations: no, thank you.
  • Re-affirmations: I said no.
  • Apology with excuse:  I’m sorry, I have no money. 
  • Statements: I’m not buying/ interested.
  • Emphatic statements:  Leave me alone/ f*** off.   Only use this when it feels like it is getting aggressive.

Assertive Body Language

This could be the shake of the head, shaking your hand, a wag of the finger, crossing your hands at your wrists, mouthing “no,” and even a good glare in the eyes is far more effective than scanning the beach to avoid eye contact.

Display Your Pastimes

Point out that you have your headphones in, reading a book, or talking on the phone.

Offer Alternatives

“If I plan to buy ___________ later in the day, I will find you.” 

Set Time Limits

Establish a time limit for how much engagement you are interested in having. Time is precious and you don’t want your whole day filled with interruptions.  Offer to think about it.  If there is something you are genuinely interested in, you have the right to walk away, think about whether you want to make that purchase, and buy from someone else.  YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO PURCHASE ANYTHING AT THAT MOMENT. 

Walk Away

Sometimes creating space and walking away is the only option. 

What makes a worthwhile transaction comes down to both parties feeling like they’ve benefited and their needs and desires are met.   What makes a positive interaction is trusting your instincts, communicating your boundaries, and maintaining a positive perspective. 

How would you handle persistent vendors in the most kind and unconventional way possible? Share your ingenious ideas and your best stories in the comments section below.

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