How do you handle personal sales conversations?

After being in sales, I feel like I have a good feel for how the conversations go, what a salesperson is trying to accomplish based on questions they ask, and I don't tend to like dealing with fellow salespeople. On a personal hang out level, sure but doing business, I can catch your script and methods and often it annoys me.


I often cut straight to the point with salespeople when I am looking at personal matters. Don't get me emotional, don't try to mess with me with false urgency, let me have info and I will let you know if it's worth it.


I have stepped into a director role for my alumnus and am reviewing some tools that they used previous to me. I am meeting with our current provider and a few other options, and I was curious to see how you all feel about your interactions with salespeople when they are selling you.


Do you just let them pitch and pretend not to get lead along, call people out on bad stuff, ask questions about how they win from a deal so we can figure out a genuine win-win, etc.


Thanks!

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10
TennisandSales
Big Shot
5
Head Of Sales
I LOVE dealing with sales ppl to be honest. Because 1. I get it. But 2 i love rewarding GOOD sales people with a deal. idk I feel pretty good when it happens.

This JUST happened actually with an Aptive pest control rep. The dudes rollin around on the segways.

normally they do all the annoying shit like fake urgency and fake discounts. If im not feeling it, Ill tell them I need to think it over.

Then Ill give them a very specific time to follow up with me "ok please text me saturday after 2pm" ๐Ÿ˜‚

ive never had anyone follow up haha.

This also happened recently with hubspot I was dealing with one of their reps and the dude was solid. super chill, knew what he was talking about wanted to hear what I needed and told us what he could and couldnt do from a pricing perspective.
JWA
Personal Narrative
1
Business Development Manager
Stealing that.

"Yeah...I need time to think it over and won't be able to make a decision until February 30th at 4:55pm."
jefe
Arsonist
1
๐Ÿ
Same here. If I have patience, I'll give feedback. Always interesting to see others ply their trade.
Gasty
Notable Contributor
3
War Room Community Manager
Ever since I got into sales, I've found myself way more patient and chill when I get cold calls. I actually talk to them nicely and let them down in the best way possible.

When it comes to meeting salespeople face to face, I like to get straight to the point. I get what you're trying to do, so let's just skip the danceโ€”get that discount approval, and we can seal the deal and move on.

But honestly, I love it when I meet a rep who's killing it. I can't help but give some feedback if I think there's room for improvement.

Being on the other side of the deal is always fun!
JWA
Personal Narrative
0
Business Development Manager
@Gasty, I agree with you 100% and even have gotten my dad to chill after he has seen/heard my stories going through it.

I am chill the first time.

The only times I haven't been chill. (my not chill is never yelling at or belittling, just being very upfront and slightly confrontational so they hopefully stop the bs)

A- extended home warranty people harassing my wife with all the dials, at terrible times(5:47PM Saturday anyone)/being funny with me when I call. He got my warning shot pretty early and stopped after we talked.

B-Someone (possibly a scammer) harassing us about pledging money to a drive for local police. It wasn't the cause so much as it was their constant use of suggestive/leading asks (i.e. would you like to donate $25 today or $50 tomorrow?.... Lady, I just told you I would think about it and send me an email)

C-People who call me, from one lending company... for the last 12 years, asking for an Alius I made in college for a project. I am surprised that not a sole has taken the time to hit DNC or load a note saying that my lead is a waste of time. I get that its mostly newer people, probably just dialing and hustling but you would think after 12 years of me saying, it was a college project, I am not a business owner, etc. that they would save the time.

Justatitle
Tycoon
2
Account Executive
I think it's very easy to tell when a salesperson is good at their job and tailor the convo to be relevant. It's also blatantly obvious when they are bad and not able to do the above. Calling them out is usually a lose lose. They won't listen and you will just get frustrated. Smile, wave, then make the decision. if you are also transparent with how you feel about their product and what is working vs not it makes life easier, usually.
JustGonnaSendIt
Politicker
2
Burn Towns, Get Money
Agree with several of the other commenters that it's much easier, more enjoyable to deal with a 'good' sales person, as a sales person. And infuriating to deal with a bad one.

Honestly, I think being in sales has made me an easier customer. I know what I want, I know how to help them go thru their criteria, I understand the complexity of asking for discounts and all the other back-end shenanigans. So I'm tolerant of the 'process' that frustrates so many non-sales-people.

Like @TennisandSales said, I enjoy rewarding the good rep with a quick and reasonable sale (i.e. not crushing them to the lowest possible margin, etc... so they can make their cut).

However, I must say I get IRRATIONALLY angry when I let some sales person know I am also in sales, and they are just shit. Or pushy. Or any other manner of 'that bad salesperson' vibe.

Also second the 'follow-up test' : Give me a card/info. I'll do research. Follow up with me on this date, in this timeframe. And less than 1% actually make the follow-up.

There are a lot of door-to-door home services reps that could have had my business because I wanted the service, but timing was off. And they just totally whiffed it on the follow-up.
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
1
ERP Sales
Asking for whats a win for them is key, find out what they care about
JWA
Personal Narrative
1
Business Development Manager
@Kosta_Konfucius
Is there a too much to this regard?
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
1
ERP Sales
Honestly I donโ€™t think so, asking what levels are approval for discounting and how we can get there in order to get it done.

Asking where the no gos are on legal and where they typically give is big
Pachacuti
Politicker
1
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
I have no patience for other sales people. I know all the tactics, etc. so when I want to buy something I come in and just buy it while shoving my hand in the sales guys face.
Filth
Tycoon
1
Live Filthy or Die Clean
Yeah this ^ is mostly me and I do understand the irony but hey, I'm B2B and I left B2C for a reason.
JWA
Personal Narrative
1
Business Development Manager
I suppose there is some part of me that wants to be a "smart consumer". I have read many sales books, I know about negotiations, I know if I frame it right and am slow to turn off interactions with them that perhaps I can get a decent deal.

Thinking of some examples in "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss
BigShrimpin
Politicker
1
Account executive
I get really annoyed by bad sellers if i tell you what i want or respond to your question and am met with a pitchslap to the face im not buying from you just treat me like a human and you can have my money
JWA
Personal Narrative
0
Business Development Manager
Fair. I feel similarly.
lowhangersalesbanger
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Maybe Iโ€™m just an asshole I still just say no thanks and end the call
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