200 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING
BOX 55: A WATERED-DOWN SALES PITCHNot long ago, I was approached by a saleswoman for a major chain of
gyms in central Florida. The young lady was very enthusiastic to have me
join the gym, stating it would only cost me a dollar a day for the rest of the
year. As I listened, she became even more animated, as I think she saw
me as a good prospect. When it was my turn to speak I asked if the gym
had a pool. She said no, but that it had other great features. I then men-
tioned that currently I paid twenty-two dollars per month to attend my
gym and that it had an Olympic-size pool. As I spoke, she looked down at
her feet while making a microgesture of disgust (her nose and the left side
of her mouth lifted upward) (see figure 84). It was a short and fleeting
gesture, and if it had lasted longer, it would have looked like a snarl. This
microgesture was enough for me to know that she was displeased with
what I said, and after a second or two she made an excuse to leave me
and approach someone else. Sales pitch over.
That was neither the first nor the last time I observed such behavior.
In fact, I have often seen it in negotiations, where an offer is made and
one of the participants involved suddenly and without conscious thought
made a similar microgesture of disgust. When rejecting food being ten-
dered in Latin America, it is very common to perform this behavior while
shaking the head side to side, without saying a word. Interestingly, what is
seen as rude in one setting or country may be a perfectly acceptable
gesture in another. The key to successful travel is to know the customs in
advance, so you know what to do and what to expect.