Tips for when you’re in the city and people are handing out leaflets.
The most important thing to remember is not to expect that anybody is going to hand you a personal cheque for five thousand dollars, because the chances of that are really slim. It is far more likely that they will be leaflets. You need to realise that these people that are thrusting pieces of paper at you are just doing their job, like anybody else. No need to be rude. Of course, there are the shakers. It’s all about cans being shaken to get your attention. These guys are not giving, they’re taking. They just want your money. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. In fact, you could say that the tin-shakers’ motives are more noble than the guys handing out bits of paper. Who’s to say? Anyway, back to the paper pushers. The fact is you could end up with just about anything in your hand.
Some of the fancier ones have graphic designs. The general idea is to provide information in a small space. The flyers can range in quality a great deal, from the inexpensively photocopied stuff right through to the glossy, full-colour circulars. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what they are advertising, but remember, don’t expect to be offered a personal cheque for five thousand dollars. Most of them are just out and out marketing. Simple text messages telling you what’s on offer. Sometimes they come with a discount, some with an expiry date. Not often, but sometimes people go to that bit of extra trouble by cutting their handout into a particular shape, such as a dog for a dog-washing service. Sometimes you get things that are more card than paper.
You’d have to say that these leaflets are a pretty passive form of marketing, unlike the aggressive types who scowl as they hand you some handbill for a protest, or the guy dressed in a sausage roll costume outside of the bakery. But, at the end of the day, there’s not a lot of harm in it. I guess they’ll always be leaflets.
Anyway, don’t forget, you shouldn’t be too surprised if no one hands over a personal cheque for five thousand dollars, but, just to be safe, it’s always smart to at least glance at it before you drop it in the bin.
