CHAPTER 4

BEWARE “YES”—MASTER “NO”

Let me paint a scenario we’ve all experienced: You’re at

home, just before dinner, and the phone rings. It is, no
surprise, a telemarketer. He wants to sell you magazine
subscriptions, water filters, frozen Argentine beef—to be
honest, it doesn’t matter, as the script is always the same.
After butchering your name, and engaging in some
disingenuous pleasantries, he launches into his pitch.
The hard sell that comes next is a scripted flowchart
designed to cut off your escape routes as it funnels you
down a path with no exit but “Yes.” “Do you enjoy a nice
glass of water from time to time.” “Well, yes, but . . .” “Me,
too. And like me I bet you like crisp, clean water with no
chemical aftertaste, like Mother Nature made it.” “Well, yes,
but . . .”
Who is this guy with a fake smile in his voice, you
wonder, who thinks he can trick you into buying something
you don’t want? You feel your muscles tighten, your voice
go defensive, and your heart rate accelerate.
You feel like his prey, and you are!
The last thing you want to do is say “Yes,” even when
it’s the only way to answer, “Do you drink water?”