You are on a marketing trip for your new venture for the purpose of calling on the purchasing agent of a major prospective client. Your company is manufacturing an electronic system that you hope the purchasing agent will buy. During the course of your conversation, you notice on the cluttered desk of the purchasing agent several copies of a cost proposal for a system from one of your direct competitors. This purchasing agent has previously reported mislaying several of your own company’s proposals and has asked for additional copies. The purchasing agent leaves the room momentarily to get you a cup of coffee, leaving you alone with your competitor’s proposals less than an arm’s length away. What would you do?

a) I would do nothing but await the man’s return.

(b) I would sneak a quick peek at the proposal, looking for bottom-line numbers.

(c) I would put the copy of the proposal in my briefcase.

(d) I would wait until the man returns and ask his permission to see the copy.