Why is the sell side so weasely?

I work on a sell side trading desk. First off, why is everyone so weasely? Is it common practice for guys on the desk to talk to one another on the phone in a voice that is so low that no one can hear you? Why not just go to a conference room?

When mistakes are made its like a 3 stooges clip where they all point at each other passing along blame.

Although I will say my ridiculously short walk to the office makes it semi worth it!

Lastly, is the buyside like this?

 

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Best Response

Weasely?........it's called THE GAME. Telling one client that the other won't move just so you can get that nice 5 tick spread, selling something you don't have so that you can position the desk short, hiding your exposure...its all part the game and everyone knows it. If you can get someone to buy at your price, then that is their deal and not yours. It's the sell sides job to give a price, it;s the clients job to make the ultimate decision to pull the trigger. You do it because it is what everyone else would do to you, if the street finds out you have too much exposure on one side, they will fuck you...happened with LTCM, happened with Lehman, it has happened hundreds of times, when people smell blood half go for the kill, the other half try to get out of the way.

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
 
Cartwright:
A lot of that is true but...5 tick spread? Those are bygone days unless the stock's a real POS.

It was a bond, the MD was originally looking to get 8 32nds, but he came down when one of the clients wouldn't cross over to a whole new point range and stayed at 31+.

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
 

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