Lesson learned, over and over. Realtors, stock brokers, recruiters… these people are all in sales. It’s easy to forget that fact when they’re helping you find what you want, giving you suggestions, and offering advice. And there certainly are nice people in sales professions, even those rare birds who will sacrifice their commissions to make sure you get what you truly need or want. But the only person who you can be absolutely sure of to purely look out for your own needs is you. So always listen to yourself. Don’t doubt yourself when working with people who have not yet earned your complete trust. If you feel manipulated when you’re working with someone in sales, you most definitely are being manipulated. They know what buttons to push to close a sale.