Buying into Service

So I've been in sales my whole life. I have dealt with just about every type of customer you can think of. So when I turn it around on myself, what type of customer do I look like? I'm currently project manager on a side project at work where I am assisting and doing pretty much all the research on rennovating our office. Part of that job is finding cubicle workspaces that will fill our new open office environment. The short of this story is that there are tons of company's that can put workspaces together for us and it would seem that almost all of the salespeople I've dealt with are very professional and have been getting me all the info I have been needing.

Anyway, I was pretty set on this one provider and I've done everything to confirm that he would be getting the sale besides actually giving him the actual committment. Then another provider pops in my front door and throws out a proposal for a much nicer looking cubicle setup for pretty much the same cost as my previous quote from the original vendor.

So now I'm at a crossroads. I feel like the original vendor has worked very hard to put a setup together for me. However, the cubicles he's promoting are refurbished older models that look a bit dated, but I'm sure are still pretty nice. The new vendor has kind of jumped into the spotlight on his first try at layout and price and I really love the look of this modern cubicle. So this means I probably will have to tell the original vendor that has worked so hard that I can't do his option. I feel bad, but at the same time it's important that we get what we need and what is right for the space. After all, we have to live with it everyday we come to work.

I just know I hate it when people make me do a ton of work like this and then lose out to someone at the last minute. I guess it's just all part of the sales game and nobody should take it personally. I will tell the guy over the phone that we aren't going to choose them, and that's a lot more respectful than what I get from a lot of prospective clients of my own.

What matters is what you like. Not what you "are" like.

Do you ever feel that your not well-rounded enough? I guess it bothers me sometimes when I think at the amount of time I waste watching tv or surfing the web. I read some other blogs and the people in them talk about all these great books and music they listen to and I wish I could get into it. But for somereason I just can't. I mean I've tried to sit down and read books and I'm just too fidgety. I find my attention wondering to other areas in my brain and then I realize I missed the last 4 pages. And when it comes to music I try to listen to more unknown bands and it all sounds like a bunch of rubbish. There's no constant beat and who knows what the hell they're saying.

Now I won't say this is the case for everything cultural. My wife is a foriegner and I've attended many non-mainstream films with her that typically aren't even in English. I liked them. And even I can say that I understood them. Well, most of them anyway.

But does the fact that I enjoy more popular music and campy TV programs make me culturally shallow? Does it mean I have the depth of a rain puddle? I'm not sure, but I do know that you shouldn't have to try to like something. It should either come to you or not. It's kind of like beer. If you don't like the taste as a 25 year old man, then you are most likely never going to like it no matter how much you slam it down your throat. So maybe I should just be happy with what I do find interesting and just be open to new things until I deduce that I really do hate them after all.