Free dinner for attending a sales pitch

So how does this work, I keep getting offers to get a free dinner at some decent restaurants to listen to a sales pitch from everything from solar panels, financial stuff to gutter guards. I’m thinking about going to each and every one of them. I like free food.

I never get these invitations. I'd gladly go and order the most expensive thing on the menu. I don't mind listening when there's free food involved.

The beat down from salesmen will far out weigh the cost of the free meal. You're in sales and should know what's coming!

I don’t think you can order anything you want. They control the menu and the exit door.

They can not control access to the facilities.

Two can play this game. I will bring in literature from a competitor and act like I’m selling against them.

I have been to several over the years. They have a section of the menu that you can order from. The food has always been good and there hasn't been any pressure salesmen or women. Desserts are included.

I'm thinking defensive driving at a restaurant would be less of a beating; but you do you.

You should also inquire about time shares

Fight your way in and Fight your way out. Good practice for something or the other.

My time is worth more than the meal.

I think I already know the answer but do they feed you before or after the sales pitch?

My wife and I did this one time in Florida, it was for a time share deal, we snuck out before the dinner, it was a beatdown. This was just before cell phones were everywhere, they called us at home for months after that, I finally got a bit pizzy with them and they finally stopped calling

Endured a sales pitch for a time share in Cozumel years ago with the wife. The one hour meeting allowed us to get a free jeep for the four days we were spending there. That hour was well worth the fun we had with that jeep.

Exactly..!

Yup. I think the people that attend are no different than the guys putting them on- they deserve each other.

I get the invites in the mail often. They go straight into the recycle bin. When you reach 65 you will start getting more of them.

My wife and I did this on some land development in the hill country. Took the tour, endured the beating, but we left with a new iPad and no land.

Just give the wife an out phrase like - we should really consider this when our bankruptcy is finished. They will move on from there.

C'mon, man.

I think you already know how it works.

Drive
Ask which room is the seminar meal
Find a seat
Wait for the intro
Watch the meal courses start coming out, (prepare to pay for any food/drink item that is not part of the "free meal")
Once the final course is done, prepare for the final pitch, "and it's a one time, sign up now or miss out" pitch
Learn to say thanks, but no thanks and then get up to leave, OR, if you like the pitch, sign up.
Drive away and decide if it was all worth it.

...!

Addendum: The meal is not "free." It cost you your time and effort!

...!

I'm a cheap SOB but I'd have a PB&J at home before I'd sit through a dinner with a solar sales pitch

I like this idea.

Exactly. It will be a controlled menu and you will be seated with a salesman. After he pitches you and you don't commit then a "closer" will join you, sweeten the pot a bit and then really put the hard sale on you. Time share deals are the worst, and they are never worth the krap you have to endure trying to get the hell out of there.

I used to love going to the time share ones cause I knew I was not going to buy and I was good playing the game. Probably went to a dozen or more and would never have bought one in a million years but then we went to St Martin and the 3rd day just sitting in the court yard talking to a older gentleman about the resort. About 10 minutes in and I said "Just sign us up We are home" That was 14 years ago and best money I ever spent!

Like many others, I did a time share sales pitch years ago. We were taking the daughter to Disney anyway, and got 3 full nights at a really nice place. Sales pitch was 45 minutes as per the rules, didn’t give them a minute more.

These dinners usually start at 7 pm and I am already in bed by then!

Years ago we kept getting pestered about a time share. We declined again and again. Finally a water main broke in our housing area and every time they fixed one place it would break somewhere else. Since the weekend was coming I called the timeshare and asked for 2 nights. We went to a beautiful spa in Sedona AZ, right on a small "river" We had our own hot tub on the balcony. Free wood fired pizza, massages and $200 worth of spa lotions, we were laughing through the entire presentation because we couldn't afford to buy even if we wanted to.

I can't legally attend one due to an incident in California.

Free meals end up being almost as expensive as free sex. Sometimes it is better to pay as you go.

Go to McDonald's or Taco Bell. The meal's never worth the time wasted.