How do you handle people who try to sell you things?

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I tend to be gentle and polite, so I often ends up buying the stuff. That's why I never became a great salesman

Try walking around with a really big stick with 'Mr.Pain' written on it and little pictures of local hobos with their faces crossed out. That should repel them.

Seriously thought, those people are very annoying. Especially the persistent ones.

i always give money to beggars ---- i used to be one. beggars, the poor and homeless are my type of people. misfits are good and i feel comfortabtle with misfits. they are more than obejcts to me and i have a relationship with them like i do with animals. i love them very much.
salespeople who ring up will get a straight "FU*K off" or i will just hang up. i will sometimes say "sorry no thanks' andhang up before they say anything else.

in temrs of the post question howver, would not it all depend on what was being sold?
someone trying to sell me a really sturdy easel is going to get my interest because it is part of my special world and interests. but someone trying to flogg off something i am not interested in will get a different response. i have no qualms about being rude and saying f*#K off to them.

Telemarketers: I don't answer the phone, so it hasn't happened. I think if it would, I'd just hang up. I'd probably insult them first.
Door to door: I don't answer the door, but if I did, I'd just wave them away.
Homeless: I hardly leave the house, but I have seen beggars while as a tourist before. I never carry cash, only checks/credit cards so my "I seriously don't have any money" story is believable.

You tell them: "No thanks, but where can I buy a sign that says 'No, I don't want to buy any of your crappy product!'?"

I just say 'no thank you' and march swiftly on.

i usually ignore them or tell them to f**k off. i'm especially mean to sellers, i know theyre doing their job, but i just cant help it.

if i meat beggers that really persistent i usually pay them though, not because i want them to go away, i just start to like them after a while because i think theyre funny. often the most persistent ones are either drunks or little kids XD

i like when someone tells me he needs money for alcochol, i always pay him for sincerity. my mother would do the same when i was a kid, she said she likes these guys more than the ones that beg for food and than go buy vodka. XD

If I'm at the mall or something, I try to avoid them. If they talk to me, I just keep walking, even though it makes me anxious. If it's a phone call from a telemarketer, I hang-up.

When it comes to telephone solicitors, I very quickly say "Sorry, not interested. Thank you." and disconnect.

I realise most of these people are trying to make a living or earn extra money. They take enough abuse as it is, so I have no need to be rude. I also realise that those working shouldn't take any of the rudness personally, but I know it can still get to them at times. Besides, being deliberately rude is not my "style". As it is I generally get two or less of these a month, so it is no real irritation. If I am eating (in the States, telemarketers tend to call at dinner hour, as it is assumed more people will be at home) I don't answer the telephone anyway.

As for beggars and panhandlers.... I rarely give directly. I prefer to give through registered charities. I did give directly once and a few minutes later I saw the man coming out of an off-license (liquor store). Since then I politely say "sorry" and move on. I like the idea in the UK where some homeless people sell a paper called "Big Issue". The people make some money and the paper attempts to make public aware of the issues the homeless face. At least they are doing something.

Basically, since living in the city centre, I have got used to beggars and panhandlers and they no longer bother me.

when i get calls from telemarketers i just say i have to go now and hang up,
or if they say they are looking to speak to someone between 18-60 years old or something like that, i just lie and say there is no one here that fits that bracket.

as for beggars i sometimes give them money, i sometimes mumble about not having any and keep walking while cringing.

I used to not feel comfortable interrupting telemarketers when they're going on and on with their marketing spiel. I waited till the end to say "no thanks" and hang up.

Now I realize that their logic is that if they can keep on talking even when I don't display any interest whatsoever there's still an outside chance that I'll change my mind (at least in their mind ). Of course in reality there's no chance in hell so they're just wasting my time - and their own time as well since they could be going on to the next 'victim', one that may be more interested in their product than I am.

I figure I'm doing us both a favor by just cutting them off and hanging up right away.