What I don’t understand with The Big Issue is how there are so many people that sell it in such different ways. Walking through the town centre I passed one of these sellers and as I was about to say no, thank you with a guilty edge to my words, the seller broke into a cheesy grin. I’m not even exaggerating. He turned to face a business man who was fumbling around for change to buy one of his magazines. The seller looked so happy. His smile was contagious. This business man may have made this other man’s day. I wondered then why there aren’t more sellers of The Big Issue like this one. Why is it that there seem to be fewer of these happy, enthusiastic people selling it? I see sellers that are either begging furiously and saying things like ‘you’ll have a guilty conscience!’ or ones that are sat on the floor whimpering. Surely the magazine would sell more with brighter, cheery people making quirky comments such as ‘come on, drugs and alcohol aren’t cheap’. Yeah, it isn’t entirely decorous, but it’s a joke. And I bet that most people wandering in and out of town would find it funny. I don’t know if it should always be so serious.
Why beg furiously and whimper? It gives The Big Issue a bad name. This publication has a reputation; it is mocked. If the sellers are going out of their way to invade people’s personal space, causing claustrophobia and annoyance, this magazine will simply be hated. What will be associated with this magazine are the words irritating and frustrating. If the sellers huddled up on a shop corner zap everyone with a pang of guilt as they pass by, people won’t want to go anywhere near the sellers; they’ll do their very best to avoid eye contact.
The Big Issue needs more optimistic sellers, offering people not only a magazine, filled with some good quality stuff, but also a free smile. I just think that a magazine would sell a lot better if the person selling it didn’t push away people with their desperation, but instead drew them in with a smile. From a human being to a human being. Not from a frustration to a busy human being. The Big Issue needs a change of reputation and the only way to do it is to change the way it is sold.
I had a Big Issue seller berate me for not buying one outside Euston Station in London. I turned around and said, "and now I never will!" You are so right about the big smile, maybe if that seller had been smiling and friendly I would have bought one.
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