Your customers respect the power of words. But even more so, they respond to a fountain (or cartridge) pen. For some reason, these pens spell clout and class. Try it. Buy an inexpensive cartridge pen for under $5.00. Keep it handy, and the next time someone asks to borrow a pen,whip out the fancy nib pen (that's what the point is called) and watch their expression and how they handle it. Of course, the more expensive the pen, the better your impression. I use a cartridge pen for most of my writing, and I'm amazed at how many strangers come up to me and ask to see or try the pen (I use the $5 version, not the $300+ Mont Blanc special). Try this experiment the next time you're on a sales call -- instead of pulling out a regular pen, whip out a fountain pen and see how much more attention you'll get from your prospect. Note: Don't open an inexpensive fountain pen too quickly in front of your clients ... the nibs tend to leak slightly and you wouldn't want to spray ink on the wrong person.