I was in an airport recently, not wanting to eavesdrop, just sitting near the gate waiting to board. I was trying to concentrate on my own work on my own laptop in fact, but these people were loud and completely unconcerned about bothering anybody else. So I heard their conversation.

They were salespeople bragging about what I consider the opposite of good selling—making bad deals for things people didn’t want, selling to people who didn’t want to buy, getting the order regardless. You know the cliche: selling iceboxes in Alaska, etc.

Doesn’t this almost always end up with an unhappy customer? How is this good for business? Why are they proud of it? And, if this is you, why are you proud of it?

(Image: by _gee via flickr cc)