A Salesperson's Guide to Dealing with Salespeople

Though the OpzGuy Blog was primarily started as a place for me to share my thoughts, experiences and learning from the Operations role in a number of different internet startups, occasionally I will take time to share my other interests as well as things I've learned in other roles that don't apply to Operations. This is one of those posts.

I'm a little strange

I actually like going to sales presentations. If there's going to be free food or other goodies, I'll sit through almost any sales pitch, except for multi-level marketing. I realize most people out there would rather punch their eye in the face then attend a sales presentation, no matter what free gift they are promising at the end. However, try as hard as you might to avoid them, we will all end up in sales situations that can be difficult and uncomfortable. So in this post I hope to give some suggestions that have made these situations bearable and even enjoyable for me.

In my last post, I mentioned that I have done a number of commission-based jobs in the past. I wasn't great at sales and found Operations suits me much better, but I have actually tried my hand at selling a lot of different things, including:

• Pest-control door-to-door
• Used and new cars
• BYU Football and Basketball ticket packs door-to-door
• Setting appointments for Wyndham timeshare presentations
• Setting appointments for a financial service company

Not to mention the 2 years I spent knocking on doors in Japan finding people who wanted to learn more about Christianity and the beliefs of the Mormon Church, which I think is very applicable.

A positive experience
A few years back my wife and I were at a Home Show and saw a booth where you could spin to win $5. The booth was busy so we walked past but as we turned the corner to the next aisle I couldn't take it anymore and I went back to spin the wheel. I didn't win the $5 but I did get signed up for a timeshare presentation. A few weeks later, we attended the sales pitch and were really impressed. We didn't end up buying a timeshare and even managed to end the pitch in less time than they'd promised at the beginning. I thought the whole thing was so much fun I ended up working for Wyndham signing people up for the presentations at similar events and on my first day I found out I could buy the timeshare for 50% off as an employee.

Since then, I've purposefully sought out and gone to many other timeshare and other sales presentations. Luckily, my wife is really cool and as long as I do most of the talking she agrees to come with me. The amazing thing is that in the last few years of doing this we haven't had a single bad experience. Maybe we've just been lucky enough to get the only nice and non-pushy salesperson in the room every time. Or maybe there is something about the way we handle these situations that is just better. Here are my suggestions on how to make these situations as painless as possible:

Principle 1: Never Say No.

The first thing every salesperson is taught is how to respond when a potential customer says No. In training, salesreps spend hours practicing exactly how to get around No's. Sales teams often have contests for the rep who can overcome the most No's in one pitch. So just understand, the second you say No to a salesperson, their instincts take over and they can't help but double their efforts. It is their hot button.

Principle 2: Don't Argue.
I understand that salespeople can be the most frustrating people in the world. There are certain salespeople that really bug me, but the worst thing you can do is argue and think the quickest way out of the door is by winning a verbal battle.

Many salespeople are born debaters and love a challenge so this is another way to queue their killer instincts. If there are things you don't like about their product or service, just let it go. Telling them specific things you don't like will only make them fight harder to convince you to buy. No matter what, don't ever let a salesperson think your reason for not buying is due to something you don't like about their product or service. They have been specifically trained to handle every objection you could ever come up with.

Principle 3: Tell Them You Love It.
No matter what they are selling, the easiest way to get out of a sales situation is to tell them how much you love their product. Just tell them, "This is awesome, we would love to get it, but unfortunately there's no way we can do it today." You might think this would give them the smell of blood and signal the kill shot, but in actuality it befuddles most salespeople. They aren't trained on this and have never met someone who loves the product but still won't buy it. They don't know how to handle this situation and it completely disarms them.

If you you feel like you have to give a specific reason, your best option is to explain why you just can't afford it right now due to a new baby, a lost job, major medical or other expenses, etc. However, most salespeople are trained to offer ways you can finance their product and pay little to nothing right now, so just be prepared for this last ditch effort, if you feel the need to give them a financial reason for not buying today.

The best thing to do is just keep it vague and tell them there's just no way you can do it today. 99% of salespeople are only interested in the sale today so if you can convince them there's no way that's happening, due to reasons that are out of their control, they will lose interest quickly and send you on your way. If you happen to get a salesperson who keeps a pipeline and wants to follow up with you in a few months, you can just let them know that you appreciate it but you would prefer to just follow up with them. Then immediately ask them for their card and this will end the conversation in most cases.

Wrap-Up
Last month, my wife and I got a $75 gift card for a very enjoyable timeshare sales presentation. We learned a lot, made a new friend and got free donuts. It was awesome! Now I challenge you to get out there and sign up for a sales pitch and give it a try. Never Say No, Don't Argue and just Tell Them, "This is awesome, we would love to get it, but unfortunately there's no way we can do it today." Let me know how it goes for you or if you have any other tips of peaceful ways to deal with hard sales situations.