Many students promote their events by handing out colorful flyers outside student dining halls. Most students will do anything to avoid taking one; successful defenses include mumbling, faking a cellphone conversation, or staring at the ground, essentially the same tactics people use when the homeless ask for money. While I don’t often give money to the homeless I always take flyers for three reasons.
1. Most students hand out flyers within easy reach of a trash can – a tactical mistake. My time isn’t worth very much either, which makes the cost of taking a flyer low.
2. The odds I will be interested in following up are low, but the potential benefit is large. Flyers expose you to a wider range of activities than normal, like reading a newspaper.
3. If you’ve ever had to hand out flyers, especially at a large school you know how soul crushing it can be to see people refuse to look you in the eye and ignore you. By taking a flyer or looking interested you can give a person a big boost.