The Sale I Didn’t Want and Couldn’t Escape

What a day in Morocco revealed about pressure, trust, and the thin line between service and manipulation.

I went on a cruise over the holidays. you know, the kind meant to slow things down. A break from work, a chance to see new places, and, ideally, turn my sales brain off for a bit.

That part didn’t quite happen.

Somewhere between ports, it became impossible not to notice how often sales shows up when you’re least expecting it and how revealing it can be when you’re suddenly on the other side of the table.

Cut to Tangier, Morocco.

Tangier is booming right now, and I understand why.

The city is beautiful. The history, the light, the energy. It pulls you in.

But when you’ve spent your life in sales, it’s hard to turn that part of your brain off. Even on vacation.

I booked a tour through a reputable agency. I was there for culture and history. What I didn’t expect was to spend the day watching everything I believe about good sales get flipped on its head.

It started in the car.

The driver was friendly and easy to talk to. He asked where we were from, what we did, how long we were staying. It felt like casual conversation until we arrived to meet the guide. A few words were exchanged, and it was clear that information had already been passed along.

That’s when it clicked.

This wasn’t discovery meant to understand what I wanted. It was discovery meant to calculate what I could afford.

The guide himself was knowledgeable and genuinely enjoyable. He took photos — dozens of them — at every stop. The charm was constant. The attention felt thoughtful.

At first, it felt like great service.

Then I realized what it actually was.

It was obligation.

After someone invests that much effort in you, saying no feels awkward. You don’t want to seem rude. You don’t want to appear ungrateful. But that isn’t rapport. That’s leverage.

Lunch made the pattern impossible to ignore.

We thought we were headed somewhere local and authentic. Instead, we were dropped at a beautiful, tourist-friendly hotel. The guide disappeared for forty-five minutes. Another controlled stop in a carefully designed funnel.

Later, I learned that guides work largely on commission. The day rate is minimal. The real money comes from what tourists buy along the way. Suddenly everything made sense: the urgency, the insistence, the subtle pressure baked into every interaction.

The shops were where it crossed the line.

In the rug shop, my husband liked one and was ready to pay and move on. I felt the trap immediately. Suddenly, I was negotiating with the shop owner, the guide, and my own husband who thought I was being difficult.

After four exhausting rounds, I bought a small Berber rug. I overpaid, and I knew it. At that point, I didn’t want the rug. I just wanted out.

By the time we reached the jewelry shop, they didn’t even pretend anymore. We were captive, and they knew it.

What bothered me most wasn’t the selling itself.

The structure was familiar: discovery, rapport building, urgency, objection handling, closing. But every step was designed to remove my agency, not support it. This wasn’t about helping me make a decision. It was about boxing me into one.

I understand the economic pressure. Tourism drives this economy, and these guides are operating within a system they didn’t create. Understanding why it happens doesn’t make it right.

Good sales creates value and makes walking away easy. This made walking away uncomfortable — on purpose.

Good sales builds trust that lasts beyond the transaction. This burned trust the moment I realized what was happening.

Tangier is still worth visiting. It’s stunning and unforgettable. Just go in with your eyes open.

And it made me wonder:

Have you ever been on vacation and suddenly realized the sales playbook was being run on you? How did it feel?

More importantly — did it change how you think about your own approach when you’re on the other side of the table?

To be continued. Next stop: Malaga.

Andrea Goodman

Appointments By Design

High-touch business development partner for B2B companies in facility services, trades, and beyond. We open doors to decision-makers—not just calendars.