I recently got a call from someone who desperately wanted to come across as my friend. He buttered me up with praise for my exemplary work as a writer, and he told me how special I am because I just qualified for an exclusive offer.

I listened patiently and spoke kindly with him – the whole time dreading what I knew was coming. After 15 minutes, he finally came to the point: He wanted me to pay an enormous fee for a special privilege I knew I didn’t need, and I had to make a final decision right then.

I apologized to him for wasting his time because I would not be able to purchase anything from him. He then proceeded to cut the price in half two times to try to entice me to purchase, and I did my best to politely let him down each time.

He got more desperate to make a sale as time went on and he used a lot of tricks to try to get me to change my mind. Three times he said, “Just one more thing and then I’m done,” and all three times he kept going right after he finished making his point and I still said no. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, but that was all I could give him.

Near the end of our conversation, he demanded to know why I was so obstinately opposed to what he was offering me, which he said was clearly a wonderful service to any right-thinking person.

I realized that my reason for declining his offer was more than the fact that I knew he was selling something I didn’t need. I didn’t know how to say it politely, so I finally told him that I cannot purchase something over the phone when I do not have time to fully research it because I am in a high-pressure situation where I’m required to make an immediate decision.

He was upset at my blunt words and insisted that I was passing up on an important opportunity. Maybe I was and maybe I wasn’t, but the point is that had I committed myself to a purchase in such a foolhardy way, I would have set a precedent that could open myself up to other chances to recklessly spend money in the future. There’s no way I can do that.

People can say anything to you to try to get you to do what they want. You have to be smart and never let your guard down. Whether it’s someone selling you something, inviting you to try something new, asking you to enter into a relationship, or many other situations, you must think rationally before deciding and not make snap judgments.

Any of the things I mentioned could be good or bad. I’m not saying that salespeople are inherently bad or that everyone is trying to take advantage of your weaknesses. You simply have to be in control of your decisions rather than allowing others to make them for you.

Don’t trust people who don’t allow you to simply say you’re not interested right now in what they’re offering. People who try to induce you to take action by applying unwarranted pressure and failing to give you time to make up your mind don’t have much credibility in my eyes.

You should only trust people who encourage you to get the facts before making a final decision on whether something is right for you or not. That’s acting out of confidence, not fear that someone will discover the ugly truth or get sidetracked and not take a desired action.

I know this is completely off topic from my usual discussion of QuickBooks manufacturing software. I will return to that soon enough. I just feel it’s important to share my experience and thoughts so you can avoid similar traps.