professional salespeople

know all about the importance of the 'alternate close'.

they never say, 'would you like to buy our double-glazing/discount holiday/life assurance?' they say, 'our representative will be in your area tomorrow. would the morning or afternoon suit you better?'

if you ask a question that invites a 'no', it becomes much more likely that you will get one.

does that mean i take a leaf from their book if i want the right response to a proposition that i’m keen to put forward?

confusion prevails.