tengku cross-race sales tactics

 

Dealing with humans

  "Humans, both men and women, associate height with status. Since humans are about a foot and half taller than us, this can be problematic.   I have several step stools behind the booth for this reason. If you are in an outdoor market, try to set up shop on a sloping hill. The key is to use environment to make yourself, but not too tall. Never make yourself equal height or greater height to a human. They find this threatening. You want to let them have four to five inches on you, but not their full natural height difference. This way they feel like they are in control, but they don't feel like they can easily push you around.   If you are in traditional tengku garb, both of you should defer to the general confident male human voice I taught you, but often it is worth your while to play up to human gender norms and wear clothing to match. In which case you remember the masculine and feminine human voices I taught you right? Good.   It's important to make humans think a decision to buy is their idea, and this is easy to do as long as they believe they have an illusion of control. Never ask them "do you want this this or not." Give them choices such as "What color would you like?" or "how many do you need", and this will make them move towards the direction of a sale.  

Dealing with gnomes

  We are about a foot and a few inches taller than most gnomes. Gnomes do not view physical stature as synominous with strength and status. Do not make yourself appear taller than you are. If you can do it without being obvious, slouch slightly or angle yourself so you can look a gnome in the eye at his level.   Other races find prolonged eye contact somewhat suspicious, but gnomes don't seem to mind. They are used to looking deep into people's eyes to read their eyes and so-called micro-expressions. It just so happens that gnomes aren't half as good at reading tengku as they are reading the milk sucking races, but we don't to tell them that.   It's a good idea to adjust your speaking tone a half an octave or so to partially match theirs but don't be too obvious about it.   Gnomes like to pride themselves on being culturally accepting and flexible. In most cases you are better off wearing tengku garb or imitating the local human styles rather than mimicking gnome fashion styles.   That said, gnomes are so unused to non-gnomes speaking Gnomish, that if an outsider addresses them in their native tongue, they will generally be better disposed to you. And that's why I made you two learn Gnomish despite all the gnomes knowing Common.   Gnomes like to talk. If you let her flap her gums long enough, a gnome might make a small purchase just to thank you for the privilege. But if you listen carefully for the gold nuggets within the drivel they will tell you what they really want and you can use this knowledge to sell them things.   Gnomes like debates and word games. If you can keep your haggling light with an air of fun, they will be more receptive to paying a higher price.  

Dealing with dwarves

  Dwarves are often prejudiced against tengku and think we are untrustworthy cheats with no honor, blah blah blah. You are going to have to fight an uphill battle with this.   Do not bother trying to look taller or shorter than your natural height when dealing with dwarves. Do not change your voice much either. They do not appreciate such contrivances. They also don't care what you are wearing as long as it's clean.   Dwarves like to talk behind your back right in front of you, so it is a good idea to study up on Dwarven but if an outsider tries to speak their language they will pounce on you for every single tiny mispronunciation you make, so you might as well address them in Common.   Dwarves value directness and boldness. Stand closer to dwarves when talking to them than you would with a member of another race and speak loudly and proudly. Try to be direct and succinct.   Since dwarves are so distrustful, they are difficult to haggle with. It is often best to give them a flat and firm price that you refuse to budge on. Dwarves appreciate the so-called honesty of doing this even though they might have saved 10% if they haggled.   That's not to say dwarves never haggle, but you should let them initiate it. If a dwarf tries to haggle, act like you are bit intimidated by them while offering a very modest price decline. Their egos are very vulnerable to this sort of flattery if you can make them feel like they won a battle.  

Dealing with elves

  Elves live ten times longer than us, and they frustratingly live in "Slow Time" which mean they are very frustrating to negotiate with. Lots of window shoppers who don't buy anything.   Elves are too perceptive to be fooled by tricks to change your height or stature and they are generally too laid back to care what style you are wearing, though they are sticklers for good hygiene.   Elves like to be addressed in their native tongue and their fairly forgiving of tiny mispronunciations or accent differences.   Don't approach elves like you would a member of another race. If they enter your shop, nod at them to acknowledge their present, but don't approach them.   If there is no one other customers to attend to, dust the shelves, check your ledgers, and do the other routine chores and upkeep as if they aren't present. A human or gnome would consider this rude, but to an elf, ignoring them thusly is a sign of patience and that you are familiar with "slow time".   If they wait for you to finish whatever small task you are doing and then ask you about buying something, they probably aren't a window shopper. If they speak directly to you and interrupt your task, you can be fairly sure they are a highly motivated buyer.  

Dealing with satyrs

  Most satyrs speak a wide variety of languages and they don't really have a strong preference to how they are addressed. Since most satyrs can't keep their mouth's shut long, they will usually address you first, so just follow in whatever language they start with.   On the plus side, satyrs are action oriented, so you don't see many window shoppers. if they are in your shop they are looking to buy something...unless they are killing time at your shop while waiting for something or someone else, but this is usually patently obvious by their far off facial expressions.   Satyrs are ruled by their genitals and they cannot help but flirt with almost everyone they meet, even when they aren't interested. We are so physiologically different from them that this throws them for a loop. Since they view most things through a sexual lens and view us asexual beings, they don't care how we are dressed. They don't try to flirt with us, but they will try to address you as a drinking buddy or gal pal. If you play a long with their platonic advances, they won't haggle very aggressively and you can get a good selling price.    

Dealing with kalazotz

  What about the bat people? Very few of them venture above ground, and most of those that do are flat broke, so don't worry about them.