By W.R. Jones
I overheard this American grandmother negotiating in a Mexican marketplace. Clearly she is of the Donald Trump school of power negotiators.
Grandma, “Do you negotiate?” Shopkeeper, “Que (what)?” Grandma, “Do you take less money?” Shopkeeper, (in Spanish with a big smile), “Bring your purse a little closer you big dummy.”
I didn’t stay to hear the end of the business deal but I could just visualize that poor shopkeeper standing in front of his empty store in only his underwear holding the empty halter of his last milk cow in one hand and the few meager pesos Grandma left him in the other.
OK – I have to update this post since Lisa says she doesn’t get it.
When in Mexico most try to bargain, grandma was aware of the concept but not the process. How much do you think an experienced salesperson is going to lower the price when you ask “do you take less money?”
On Painting 
Im with you on this one…..Grandma’s have had far to good a press for far too long. It’s time they made a 60 minutes documentary about it. Grandmas:THE TRUTH.
Look at the evidence. The Queen Mother was an Ubergrandma, drank copious amounts of gin, lived til 100, made all the main decisions and practically won the war. Talk about resolve of steel! And have you seen them on the streets?? After ribbing these Mexiacn stallholders blind, they then commandeer the sidewalk with their wheeled shopping bags…you know the type-they all come in tartan. They give them “racey” names like THE SHOLLEY, and “update” them every so often;this Spring, its…THE SHOLLEY 2000! They love them, these old ladies, because they can incapacitate younger memebers of the public with them at will.
(interviewer)”Will you swap your Sholley 2000 for a Rolls Royce Mrs. Brady?”
(Mrs.Brady, old lady) “Does it come in Tartan?”
(Interviewer) “I don’t believe it does”
(Mrs Brady, old lady) No.
You were on ships with a younger set. This cruise was for us who lead the life of the active 75 year old. I didn’t see anyone drink to excess but 2 of the voyagers died. It was a tough journey.
Hi Bill, happy to see that you were not one of the 2… it sounds AWFUL!
Can you give us your birthday date in Cafe Crem (if it makes you feel younger, just give us the day and not the year…), there will be a Birthday Party for you there!
A mate of mine does comedy shows on Saga line- a crusie comapny for the elderly. When I ask him how elderly, he says “Well, there are more wheels than feet”
What a great line. Florida is known here as a retirement state. I had a friend who remarked it was the only state where you could find hearing aid batteries in every store.
Heard a great line in a movie the other day:
Girl: “I want to move to Florida so I can grow.”
Man: “But Florida’s where people go to die! The only things that go there to grow are Oranges…”
I’m like Lisa–I’m glad you spelled out what that old lady did wrong. I sympathize with her. I’m a business idiot myself (though I guess you will think this is a question of common sense). My mother brought me up to make the other guy happy.
Making the other party happy is probably a much better business strategy if you are after long term success. The fellows I grew up with, however, found more pleasure in beating the other party out of every last cent. Maybe that is why we havn’t been all that successful.
Sales are funny things! Especially in this time of shopping for after-Christmas bargains! Sometimes I wish I could bargain a bit more often here in the US (of course when I’m the buyer!). Funny observation; thanks for making me smile!
Dude, what I don’t get is the “poor shopkeeper” part of the story…
I was joking about the shopkeeper. Clearly the old woman was not going to fare well in the negotiations by asking if they would take less money.