332: Thou shall not present reams of written research with a proposal just to impress the client

Commentary The teenager paces the kitchen, telling her parents all about the new safety studies, referencing quotes from other neighborhood parents, citing peer considerations, pulling out charts on mileage and fuel economy. Soon reams of information seems to be flying at them as she piles high automotive magazines and consumer publications; it is getting to be a bit much to take in. The plot seems to be firmly lost when 15 minutes are taken up with a bold discourse on how the color of an automobile reflects on its owner. By the time the kid is going on about how “if this car were an animal, it would be . . .” the couple finally raise their hands and plead for mercy. “If you want us to buy you this car, just ask,” they sputter out. A solid idea only....JF