Debbie Downer, a character on Saturday Night Live, reminds me of some salespeople. If you’re enjoying eggnog and cookies, Debbie will warn you about the dangers of salmonella and the juvenile diabetes epidemic. If you’re planning a trip to the beach, she’ll quote shark attack statistics.

In my book 40 Day Sales Dare, I talk about how often I see salespeople bringing up all the stressful topics like credit scores and mortgage rates before they even open the door to the first model. Sure, those discussions will come, but give your customers a chance to fall in love with your finishes and layouts before you hit them with application fees and construction changes. I’m not asking you to avoid reality, just don’t be a downer or you’ll be running your clients out the door faster than the turkey in the clip below.