# The Flirt-Sell **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312 "2011-09-05T22:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/21 "2011-09-09T00:26:00Z")
This is pretty much the business model for pharmaceutical sales. While the banks and law firms are recruiting hard at the business and law schools, looking closely at GPA’s, the pharmaceutical companies are interviewing cheerleaders. > **[Gimme an Rx! Cheerleaders Pep Up Drug Sales (Published 2005)](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/28/business/gimme-an-rx-cheerleaders-pep-up-drug-sales.html)** > > Pharmaceutical companies are recruiting salespeople from ranks of college and professional cheerleaders, recognizing that they have many qualities industry wants in its sales force; since federal crackdowns and drug industry's self-policing have... ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/22 "2011-09-09T00:47:19Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > I was at a user conference/trade show last week, and apparently a newish tactic of tech firms is to hire smoking hot young Russian women as sales reps - but since all the ones I spoke with were also scary-smart and knew their products better than most of the guys did, I found little to complain about. So you came by my booth, did you? 😉 I do hire out models to use the badge scanners at shows. They are trained to give the initial patter, get a scan, and pass you off to one of our sales reps. Some flirt, but we don’t ask for it. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/23 "2011-09-09T19:43:44Z")
I got suckered into buying a pair of purple and black striped MC Hammer pants back in the day. You know, the ones that all balloned up on the thighs. (I know, I know.) But I went in the store to buy a leather trench coat, but once I found out how much it cost, I was going to walk out of the store. The saleslady was very flirty and very pretty. I actually managed to get her phone number, and then decided to buy the pants because I figured she might a commission off of the sale. Turns out the phone # was a fake. Never saw her in the store again. I only wore the pants about three-four times. They soon became PJ’s and soon after that were never seen again. ---
**Author:** ![Bri2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bri2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bri2k)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/24 "2011-09-09T20:34:30Z")
The closest thing I’ve had to a flirt-sell lately was a comely waitress leaning in close and asking “Have you seen our new Senior Citizen specials, honey?” Grumble… Bri2k ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/25 "2011-09-12T05:36:01Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > So you came by my booth, did you? > > 😉 > > I do hire out models to use the badge scanners at shows. They are trained to give the initial patter, get a scan, and pass you off to one of our sales reps. Some flirt, but we don’t ask for it. Ha! That explains why the line for your booth was so huge! I swung by but was running late for a meeting and couldn’t wait. There was another vendor I met with, who actually had a couple very knowledgeable, well-trained sales reps (who just happened to be hot Russians); but I also noticed distinctly Eastern European accents from several other booths too. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/26 "2011-09-12T10:30:12Z")
It would never induce me to buy anything but having an attractive woman pay attention to me for a few minutes feels pretty good. I have noticed this in restaurants where the waitress will sit down beside you and act all flirty with the menu, I know it’s a gimmick for increased tips but it does make me simile. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/27 "2011-09-12T10:55:30Z")
The closest I’ve ever had are certain women telling me that a shirt looked attractive–but that was why I brought them along. Later, a friend told me that some of them were just doing it for fun to see what they could get me to spend. Fortunately, I only bought what someone I actually trusted said, and not stuff by the various other people who overheard. (This was a school trip, so there were a lot of people there who knew me.) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/28 "2011-09-12T12:20:20Z")
> [@mo50](#): > > A coupla times in malls I’ve encountered (I’m guessing) Israeli kids, selling some kind of “Dead Sea mud mask” type of a skincare goo. The company seems to employ attractive young people of both sexes who sort of accost you as you go by. The times I encountered them, a young lady would actually grab you & start rubbing this stuff onto your arm & flirtatiously talking it up. I had one who took my hand and started asking if I had a wife or girlfriend as she buffed one of my nails with some stone to make it look “polished”. I wish I had had the presence of mind to ask if she was asking me out just to see the response. I’m sure she had one ready-made. Instead, I avoided her tangled web of sales and wound up with one shiny fingernail that I had to scuff up a bit so it would blend with its companions. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/29 "2011-09-12T14:17:55Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I had one who took my hand and started asking if I had a wife or girlfriend as she buffed one of my nails with some stone to make it look “polished”. I wish I had had the presence of mind to ask if she was asking me out just to see the response. I’m sure she had one ready-made. > > Instead, I avoided her tangled web of sales and wound up with one shiny fingernail that I had to scuff up a bit so it would blend with its companions. “Oh, no, sir…I was just going to tell you how much your girlfriend would enjoy your smooth hands.” ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/30 "2011-09-12T20:52:59Z")
I was at a conference recently where the tables were turned–realizing that our industry is about 75% women, one of the vendors hired two hunks as sales reps. Apparently their vendor reception was standing-room-only. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/31 "2011-09-12T22:55:05Z")
An 18 yr old in a tank top and pushup bra flirt-sold my 50 yr husband a book worth 16 dollars for 50 dollars. It was in our front yard and they were talking really loud. It was disgusting. My son commented on the flirt selling too. I unfacebooked my husband and hardly talked to him for weeks because I couldn’t get the picture of him being such a pathetic old creeper out of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312/32 "2011-09-13T00:06:58Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I had one who took my hand and started asking if I had a wife or girlfriend as she buffed one of my nails with some stone to make it look “polished”. I wish I had had the presence of mind to ask if she was asking me out just to see the response. I’m sure she had one ready-made. > > Instead, I avoided her tangled web of sales and wound up with one shiny fingernail that I had to scuff up a bit so it would blend with its companions. This exact same thing happened to me. I think it was less a flirt-sell than an attempt to make you buy the polishing thing so your nails match. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flirt-sell/595312.md?page=1)