How Not to Make a Sale

1) Work door-to-door.

2) Start your spiel for the utility that employs you, and is in competition with the one that I have a contract with, by looking surprised when the person who tells you they take care of the utility payments tells you that they're the person with the cash in the house - you really wanted to ask for my parents, didn't you?

3) Continue your sales pitch by insulting the person who pays those bills, through implying that they may be a deadbeat.

She: "I'm from Energy Savings Utility company. Don't worry! I'm not here to get you!"
Me: "Well, no, you wouldn't be. That would be preposterous for so many reasons."

4) Continue on by lying.

She: "I'm just checking in with you to make sure that you've signed up..."
Me: "I'm not interested, thanks."
She: "Oh, I'm not selling you anything, I just want to make sure you've signed up for..."
Me: "I'm...not...interested," starting to close the door, "thanks"

And she continues to talk, and talk and talk as I shut the door in her face.

Listen, I know working door to door is a tough job, but, like telemarketers, if I tell you I'm not interested, and I'm polite the first time, insisting that I don't know my own mind by continuing to try to sell to me will get you a firm, and still polite, shut down and click, be it from a door or handset.