Courtesy And Consideration Can Go A Long Way In Making The Sale

Mike promotes and sells pharmaceutical products to doctors.  He had already made three calls on one doctor trying to sell her an antidepressant drug.  The difference between antidepressant drugs being very small, however, Mike hadn't been able to convince the doctor to prescribe it.   Mike  made a date for a fourth effort, but it had to be rescheduled because the doctor had an emergency call.  The next time, as Mike was about to begin his presentation,  the doctors nurse interrupted to tell the doctor she was needed at the hospital for a difficult procedure. The doctor suggested that, under the circumstances, she would appreciate it if Mike kept his comments as brief as possible.  Instead, Mike recommended that the doctor leave immediately, his presentation could wait until the doctor had more time.  He figured wisely that the doctor wouldn't be in a very attentive frame of mind anyway.  The next week Mike learned that the doctor, without any further comments from him, had switched almost exclusively to the use of Mike's company's  antidepressant drug.  His courtesy and consideration had sold the doctor better than the sales pitch.