Sales Strategies That Should Disappear
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Sales tactics can often irritate potential customers in ways that might not be immediately apparent. While many are aware of overtly offensive strategies, such as using sex to sell, subtler manipulative techniques can be just as off-putting. Surprisingly, not everyone shares my perspective. If they did, these tactics would likely be ineffective. It's astonishing that such blatant manipulation persists in our buying experiences.
Here’s a rundown of some particularly annoying sales tactics that should be left behind, in no particular order.
Stupid Job Titles: (e.g. Customer Success Manager)
It's quite presumptuous for a company to label someone as a "Customer Success Manager," implying they have the power to manage my success. Many clients, not just those who think differently like myself, cringe at such titles. Honestly, it just sounds ridiculous.
Silly Promotions: Everyone is a VP of Sales
This trend, particularly rampant in technology sales, began in the early 2000s when companies started offering flashy titles to attract sales professionals. It seems like every tech salesperson I meet now claims to be a Vice President of Sales or something similar. I recall a time working for a value-added reseller where we were told that giving every account representative a grand title would make clients feel special. The irony is that now, these so-called VPs are often in meetings with junior staff, not even Directors.
Too Many Vendor Representatives in Meetings
I never thought I’d be grateful for layoffs in the tech sector, but at least they’ve reduced the number of vendor representatives showing up to meetings. I once worked for a small consulting firm and was shocked to find we sent twelve people to meet with a client. We were more than three times their number. Unsurprisingly, we didn’t win the contract.
Misuse of Titles Continues
During a recent conference call, I was surprised to hear someone from a $1.4 billion revenue vendor introduce himself as “VP of Technical Solutions and a Solutions Architect.” A solutions architect should ideally be reporting to a Lead Architect, not being called a VP. It's baffling how such inflated titles have become commonplace.
That’s My Name, Don’t Wear It Out
This issue extends into everyday interactions. Some people have a habit of repeating your name excessively during conversations. While the idea is to make one feel important, it often comes off as manipulative. For instance, hearing, “Rod, what do you do for a living, Rod?” multiple times in a single conversation is grating and makes me suspicious of their intentions.
False Sales: Items Always on Sale
During my teenage years, my father worked for the Attorney General's office and dealt with a lawsuit against a retailer for advertising items as "on sale" that were perpetually marked down. Despite winning the case, the retailer didn’t change their practices. Fast forward to today, and I still notice stores like Safeway promoting "2 for 1" deals while the regular price remains the same. Such tactics annoy me, even if I still shop there occasionally.
A Short Story About a Deceptive Salesman
Recently, a vendor came to present a demo to my security team. I explicitly mentioned that we needed a solution compatible with Linux or Windows. After two hours of an impressive demo, the salesperson smugly revealed that the server operated on an AS-400. I was incredulous; why waste our time? His excuse was that he thought we’d consider an exception once we saw how powerful the product was. I made it clear that not only would he not make a sale, but I also would never trust him again.
No laptops were harmed in the making of this article.