I give her the sample, and I tell her it is more for the kids because it is heavily sweetened and caffeine free. I’m not supposed to tell her this, but this is the cheapest sample that we offer, and if she decides to buy it, it will drop the number on my sale from her. Lucky for me, she buys into it. I ask her what her favorite sample is, and she says that it is the Youthberry/Wild Orange blend. I tell her that I will meet her on the other side of the counter.
I move quickly here. Leaving a customer waiting is like leaving a fishing pole unattended. I grab the two tea bins and set them in front of the counter for her. I romanticize the heck out of them, making them seem even more enticing and worthy of her money. I do not tell her to look at the high fruit-to-tea ratio in the Youthberry, nor do I point out the prominent presence of cheap apple pieces in the Wild Orange Blossom tisane. I especially do not tell her that all of the dried fruits have been sucked dry of health benefits when they were dried. Dare I mention the fact that these teas do not smell anything like REAL oranges or berries? Should I confide in her that I suspect Teavana of using artificial flavors in their teas (the company only claims not to use artificial colors, and the ingredients list of 90% of the teas indicate the use of “flavoring,” not saying whether it is artificial or natural), and that all she smells is an illusion? No, the salesperson in me really really really wants to make a BIG sale at this point, so I am easily able to ignore my qualms. I talk about the POUND discount. She buys into it and buys a half pound of each. I’m not done here, though, the sale could be bigger. I mention one more thing to her, trying to squeeze every last penny out of her pocket…
