In episode 7, season 2, Don Draper recalls in a flashback his past life as a used car salesman. One of his prospects is a teenage boy, who has just test-driven a car. (His father has accompanied him to make sure that Draper doesn’t “shake his hands and take his fingers”, as the father puts it.) When the boy balks at buying the car because an earlier model of it had rattled, a smiling, smarmy Draper informs him confidently, "That was the '49. This is the 1950 model. It’s what you want".
My first impression of the italicized part was a glimpse of the fledgling consummate persuader that Draper becomes later.
But I also think it may be a comment on the way selling has changed in the last half century. If a salesperson said that to me, I’d laugh in their face. I can’t remember the last time anyone tried that direct ‘hard-sell’ approach, on me or anyone I know. Today, the focus seems to be more on putting people in the mood where they decide for themself to buy something (or at least think they’ve decided for themself).
What say?
One of the things I like best about that show is how they subtly weave these kinds of comments on cultural change into the dialogue.
I didn’t put that much thought into it. The kid didn’t want the car because he had heard bad reviews (rattles) . Draper told him that the reviews that he had heard were regarding the old model.
Then, Draper could have answered, “Oh, they fixed that. The 1950 model doesn’t rattle - see for yourself”, offering the keys. Which is what a salesman today would probably do.
I’m not exposed to salespeople these days, but I think they’re still doing it, especially car salesmen, and maybe especially when they’re selling to women. I was shopping for a pickup in the mid 90’s and the sales guy said “You really need this truck”. It was odd, like the sales guy thought the truck and I were destined to be together. It put me off but I bought the damn truck anyway. I bought another vehicle in 1999 and there was no pitch at all, but that’s because I knew what I wanted.
I do remember hard sells in the 50’s and 60’s from door-to-door salesmen, selling encyclopedias, carpet cleaners, cookware, etc. Now the only salesman I see is the Schwan’s man, and he’s very low key, just tells me what’s new and what’s on sale and has no reaction if I don’t buy anything. I can’t imagine him telling me that I want the popcorn shrimp.
Maybe I’ve been lucky buying appliances - when I bought a washer, the guy was completely straight with me: wrote down all the costs, to include installing it and carting the old one away. I was in and out of the store in five minutes. I went back to him when I needed a dryer.
And yes, I know that women are treated differently by car salesmen, at least as of fairly recently. Back in 1993, my then-girlfriend had salesmen telling her how good she would look in the car. She was a really tough cookie, who told them they were idiots and left.
When I bought a car in 2004, the saleswoman tried some really low tactics: pretending that the model I wanted was no longer made, and then ‘subtly’ pointing out much pricier, sportier ones. I finally gave up and said that I was only interested in the cheaper model, and that if it was no longer available, I would have to go home and redo my research, another salesman came into her office and said, “I think he’s looking for this model” (the one I wanted). The old bait and switch. But she never tried to tell me what I wanted, only lure and trick me into getting it.