Tough Decisions

Tough Decisions

Reflecting upon our recent vacation to Las Vegas two decisions we made stand out. Diane had registered us for Time Share presentations with two different companies, not with the intent of purchasing but merely capitalizing on the gifts.

          At both presentations we made it clear upfront that we had no intentions of buying, to which the representatives, although somewhat wholesomely agreed, we proceeded. The first presentation went as we had planned even as they tried with all their “professional prowness” to woo us into purchasing.

          The second presentation, the next day, also went well until the salesperson’s boss, the company VP showed up to take over. He was a rather burlish man with a suntan fresh off the beaches of Hawaii. The first thing he did was to offer the same deal at a drastically discounted price which even surprised the saleslady. The original deal was around $45,000 which he immediately dropped to $5,000. It was enough to knock your proverbial socks off! Needless to say it left both of us breathless, almost to the point of caving in.

          However, I kept asking myself, “What’s the catch? There always has to be a catch somewhere.” Diane, on the other hand had thoughts of calling our eldest son for advice, which she did, after the sales people left us alone to decide. The phone call was very brief and to the point—“NO Mom—don’t do it, they don’t tell you everything”. So we turned the offer down flat to the disgust of the VP and dismay of the saleswoman.

Lessons Learned

I had some sales training, thankfully, and realized many of the sales tactics used,

1.     Gifts, no matter how expensive or cheap, are designed to:

a.     Keep your focus on the prizes.

b.     Create a sense of owing them a sale.

2.     Captivate your emotions and isolate you from rationalization.

3.     Create a sense of “gotta have it now or I’ll lose it”.

4.     A one of a kind buy, no one else has one. That’s all there is, there ain’t no more”.

5.     Sell the sizzle not the bacon.

6.     Emotions sell, not rationalization.

All these tactics and more are used by salespersons every day. Car salesmen, realtors, insurance, mattresses, home furnishings, you name it, they are all highly trained in the fine art of separating you from your hard earned cash with your (although emotional) blessings.

We are faced with tough decisions everyday of our lives. Some suddenly catch us off guard while others are more subtle. Fortunately, Diane and I were able to briefly catch our breaths, reflect on my book Crossroads of Life (2011) which is all about making tough decisions, and make that important call, one of the principles in the book.

Knowing the book we did not have to run to the nearest bookstore to research, nor did we pluck a copy from the bottom of Diane’s purse, we knew it by heart and instinctively applied its principles. It saved us a whole lot of grief and money. Later we mused how grateful we were for not signing up for a Time Share, the book itself, and how God had kept us from a disastrous mistake.

          What crossroad are you at in your life today? Do you know how to make tough decisions using the principles of God’s word?

          By the way [to quote Columbo] we enjoyed the gifts and reckon we came out on top!

          This is not a treaty against Time Shares [maybe they are right for you, just not for us] it is a note on making rational decisions despite the circumstances life throws you.

          If you were never taught how to make those tough decisions or even if you have been, I urge you to get a copy. It can be ordered from your local bookstore and is available on Kindle.

          Crossroads of Life will make a great gift for any occasion and is perfect for teaching anyone how to make decisions.