Look at it logically.
Let's use the 2 women the OP mentioned.
Let's say that one of them had a girlfriend who was mugged or had a break in. So she decides to get a gun "for protection". No one in their circle has a gun and many are strongly anti-gun. Work has the same mindset. They don't know about THR because they just decided they need protection.
Now, if you look at it logically, where would they go? I'd say they'd go where they sell guns. Who better to know? So they go to the gunshop mentioned above and the clerk tells them what was said and they go home to think about it. They feel they consulted "an expert". We know better. They don't. A car salesman is no different than this gun salesman but they're spending $500, not $20,000. Big difference. So, what choices does someone like these women have? Seriously? How do they get "better" educated? They feel they got the info they needed. Why would they believe otherwise? They went and saw a "pro".
Yes, sales staff is there to sell but responsible sales people also help to educate. That's how you make a sale. You give them options, educate them as best you can and then let them decide. I've worked in sales for 40 years. Human nature showed me that if you give the customer one choice (this is the best gun for you) then you have less of a chance to sell it "right now" than if you give them 3 choices. (This one is a .22LR, cheap, small but under-powered. This one is a 9mm, popular, cheap ammo, easier to control, many choices on size. This is a .38 revolver. Easiest to use, relatively cheap ammo, relatively easy to handle, relatively easy to conceal in the J-frame. Which one will fit your needs the best?) Give them 3 choices and they usually pick 1. Give them 1 choice and they'll probably walk. Give them more than 3 choices and they get confused and want to go home to do more research on it. It's psychological as much as anything else. A salesman is there to educate and help them pick the best gun (in their shop) for their needs. Shoving a .22 at them and telling them this is the way to go isn't salesmanship, it's ignorance.
