Would you like...

Picture the scene. Saturday afternoon. Your favourite shopping town. Countdown to Christmas has begun.

Got it?

However, before you have reached your first shop (or coffee outlet!), you have already been offered the chance to sign up for a paintballing session, the chance to win a once in a lifetime holiday or even to change your car insurance provider. Does this sound familiar? Of course it does, because our town centres are swarming with on foot sales personnel. Despite the fact that these ladies and gents are most probably very lovely people, we, as their customers, have grown to dislike them. Often, we don't listen to more than their first two words, as we have already adopted an unnatural burst of speed to act as if we never saw them in the first place.

But, then you find yourself on the other side of the fence. This is when you can really see the impatience and often ignorance of people.

I wasn't trying to sell anything. Quite the opposite. I was giving the public the chance to win two tickets to see this years pantomime of Sleeping Beauty at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford. However, as soon as I approaced anyone to offer them the chance to take part in a little competition, before I had finished saying the words "Would you like", I had been shunned and they were off to fight their way to the cheapest knickers/pants (no sexism, I won't have it!) in the town. So, that wasn't working. So, I obviously needed to change my technique. Keep the politeness, but get to the point quicker. Only one way to do it. Speed up! Then, the ignorance came to the fore. "Would you like free..." At the mention of the word "free", people took a look back at me. However, realising that they had already snubbed me and they had to save face, they couldn't possibly return, even though they knew there was in fact, something in it for them!

So, anyway, was I successful. No. If you have taken the time to read this, then why not have a go at winning the tickets! Just listen to Eagle Radio's Curtain Call Panto Special, listen out for the competition question, and you could be at Surrey's most traditional pantomime, this winter. The cast includes Boyzone's Shane Lynch, CBeebies' Sarah-Jane Honeywell and Eagle Radio's Peter Gordon.

To listen to the podcast, click here