Pachacuti profile picture
Pachacuti profile picture

Pachacuti

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Politicker
Executive
Acclaimed Answer
+9

Bribes for meetings - Stop It!

rant warning...

in the past month I have received cold emails offering me Bluetooth speakers, Omaha steaks, Starbucks gift cards, gift cards for other other places, and straight up cash for meetings "with my VP" or other such people in their company. 

🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑 STOP IT 🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑

if your solution can't make it its own merit, a bribe won't help you.  

if you're one of those bribers who rely on any of the above to get a meeting - Learn how to actually sell. Or get out of Sales. 

rant over
😡 rant
✍️ Sales advice
😎 Sales Skills
29

41 comment

Sort by:
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
16
Account Executive
Yeah guys. Quit it. Bribe me instead.
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
6
Bravado's Resident Asshole
I'll trade you a nickel for your pickle
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
1
Account Executive
Sold.
Diablo
Politicker
2
Sr. AE
😅
CuriousFox
WR Officer
7
🦊
I like a bribe offer 😏
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
5
Bravado's Resident Asshole
What about a spicy trade? like a quid pro quo?
CuriousFox
WR Officer
4
🦊
Tricks accepted too
oldcloser
Arsonist
3
💀
How bout just a quid? Fuck the pro quo. Gimme
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
^^ how to identify a true sales savage.
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
5
Bravado's Resident Asshole
Hmmm... thanks for the ideas.. lmao what a joke.
BTQ
Politicker
5
Account Manager
I agree with you, I have no idea how this became a thing.
Also - I think it's hilarious VC's/C-level execs are charging $500+ an hour to meet with them and ask questions lol
Pachacuti
Politicker
4
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
You wanna pay me $500 for an hour of my time? I’ll give you 8 hrs 😉😉
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
4
Bravado's Resident Asshole
I really only need like 30 seconds... Do you round up like those corner workers do?
Space_Ghost20
Valued Contributor
5
Account Executive
I always thought it was stupid, but senior leadership at multiple places I've worked at really pushed for the gift card strategy: "lunch on us", "coffee on us", etc. I'll admit to sending those kinds of emails, but I was only following orders.
2
"I was only following orders" where in history have I read this
jefe
Arsonist
5
🍁
A lot of organizations explicitly forbid this tactic.
It's cheap, tacky, and grey ethically.
All of your points are correct.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Canada leading the way on that one.
jefe
Arsonist
1
🍁
We do that sometimes, eh?
SaaSyBee
Politicker
3
Founder
Oof, one time a long time ago, I was offered a gift card from a dude at ZoomInfo who swore it was a research call. Spoiler alert: That SDR effed over his AE cause it was a pitch and I was not the decision maker (as I told the SDR).
Mothy
Politicker
3
Account Executive
I love when I get these offers. I'll absolutely take a half hour to talk with a rep and at the very beginning of the call tell them to go ahead and close lost it because we are likely not going to buy whatever it is in exchange for a $100 Amazon card or a bottle or something.
On a serious note, bribery to take a meeting is a pretty bad business practice, however I think there is some merit in sending over a $5 Starbucks card or something as a sort of "Thank You" when confirming the meeting.

It is a nice surprise for whoever is taking the call.
0
why would you waste half hour of your time when you can just email them the exact thing? Petty
Mothy
Politicker
0
Account Executive
I wouldn't say getting a $100 gift card is a waste of a half hour personally. Maybe I don't sell hard enough, but I have gaps in my day fairly often.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
2
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
During Covid, we did send out Starbucks gift cards - but that was to companies with whom we’d usually meet in person, so we called it a virtual coffee.

Maybe you’re looking at this wrong - virtual BBQ could be a thing!
Pachacuti
Politicker
0
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
Nothing wrong with the virtual meet up during Covid. It’s the email I just got offering me a jbl speaker for a meeting with their vp that I take issue with.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Oh, I get it. Gifts for time. And the conversion rate is likely to be awful.
Revenue_Rambo
Politicker
1
Director, Revenue Enablement
Half the time they don’t even follow through. Those are the people who need to a to be throat punched.
Maximas
Tycoon
1
Senior Sales Executive
At least they should've known that you're a sales person that's kinda hard to be sold that easily particularly with those ways unless being really convinced .
Strongly believe that most of us here ain't following that path though and I would say that being super friendly and not pushy is the best approach to be taken instead!
HVACexpert
Politicker
1
sales engineer
I mean , if you don’t want the steaks I’ll take them…
1
Retired Sales Professional
Amen!!!!!!!!
J.J.McLure
Politicker
1
Owner at *redacted*
This is something you get a lot of?? I haven't heard of it even. I think my VP and I would make a deal to take all those meetings and split the goods!
Pachacuti
Politicker
1
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
I get about 1 per week. It’s not worth my time to take a meeting about something I have little to no influence over.
GDO
Politicker
1
BDM
Bribes for meetings suck. But I can imagine sometimes the nudge is all they need
ChumpChange
Politicker
1
Channel Manager
I've always been a direct blunt email type of person and for what it's worth... people are appreciative of that approach. Don't fuck around and waste people's time.
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
1
Sales Rep
If anyone wants to bride me, I can dm you my email
oldcloser
Arsonist
1
💀
I agree with this entirely, unless it’s a high quality pair of Ben Wah balls. Then I’ll listen to anything.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
Ewww! Cringe.
Beans
Big Shot
0
Enterprise Account Executive
Fuck that noise, I'll be your VP and we can split this swag.
lowhangersalesbanger
Executive
0
Director of Sales
I'm gonna make a second income out of those meetings. Which companies are prospecting you and how do I get the free shit?
Justatitle
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
desperate times do call for desperate measures
Coffeesforclosers
Notable Contributor
0
Director Sales and Market Development
Someone offered me a custom jersey, i thought well my son for christmas this would be cool, but totally agree its trash.
However, one person sent an email with Subject line "Wager on your bears this weekend" It was bears vs a sub par team week 1 and i thought there was no way i would lose, wager was a jersey if i win, take a meeting if i lost. Took the meeting, product was actually pretty cool, but did not buy....cant believe i lost, but that was a cool approach (unless im a recovering gambling addict, could go the other way)
Worf
Politicker
0
SDR
What about legitimate ones from companies that do it for B2B? The Starbucks gift card thing is a common marketing tactic though....

Related posts

16
Members only

STOP internal meetings! Asked by VP why I hate it?

Question
☁️
🏡
😤
49
Why internal meetings SUCK?
87 people voted
4

Masked up meetings

Question
🤝 Networking
5
9

How Do YOU Stop Procrastinating Your Prospecting?

Question
🔎
👑
📞
21
How do you buckle down and make your calls when you rly just arent feeling it
68 people voted
Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.
Apple Store logo
Products
The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U
Company
About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty
Contact
Press Careers
© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs
If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.