The Salesperson Who Owns the Exact Same Thing

Have you ever noticed this curious pattern while shopping? You walk into a store, browse quietly, and before long a salesperson appears, ready to help. They ask what you are looking for. You explain. Almost immediately, they smile and say something reassuring. They have the exact same product.

This has happened to me more than once. Most recently, it happened while I was buying an air conditioner. As soon as I mentioned the model I was considering, the salesperson casually informed me that he had the same one at home. Apparently, it was excellent. Reliable. No issues at all.

This moment felt strangely familiar.

The memory goes back a long way, to the very first car I ever bought. It was a second-hand car, many years ago. The salesperson was pleasant, confident, and helpful. At some point, he mentioned that he also owned the same car. At the time, this felt comforting. What better recommendation than someone who drives the product themselves.

Trusting and naive, I bought it. What followed was not a faulty product story, but a long series of lessons. Let us just say the experience did not match the confidence of the recommendation.

Since then, I have noticed the pattern everywhere. Electronics. Appliances. Vehicles. There always seems to be someone on staff who owns exactly what you are about to buy. The product may change, but the reassurance remains the same.

This is not an accusation. It is simply an observation. I often wonder whether this is a coincidence, a shared coincidence across many industries, or a technique quietly taught somewhere along the way.

Perhaps they really do own it. Or perhaps owning the product is simply part of the sales uniform. Either way, it is hard not to smile when it happens again.

The next time someone tells me they have the same one, I will nod politely. Experience, after all, is the one thing salespeople never claim to sell.