Overemphasis of ‘the process’ of selling – the scripts, the timing, your outward appearance – is a common pitfall for many salespeople and causes many to lose sight of the ultimate objective: serving the customer with honesty and helping them with their ‘pain’. Too often, salespeople place the sale over the needs of the customer, desperately avoiding hard truths so as not to jeopardize the sale. They dance around hard question, soften answers, and steer the conversation around anything that they feel will play negatively into their objective. While this tactic can work, this method risks something far more valuable than a single sale: trust.
A few months ago, my father and I went shopping for a new trailer. The firs trailer we looked at was one that my father had already researched, so he knew most of it’s technical information like max load, etc. As a sort of ‘test’, my father began asking the salesperson questions.
“What is the load capacity?” my father asked, looking for a clear, distinct answer.
“Well, what are you trying to haul?” responded the salesman.
This is an example of a salesman dancing around a question. In reality, what my father was going to haul didn’t matter because the load capacity of a trailer is an objective metric. As it turns out, while that specific trailer was not rated for heavy loads, it was very expensive. Instead of giving a clear answer that he knew wouldn’t satisfy his customer, the salesman attempted to steer the conversation in a different direction to avoid disappointment, which only resulted in my father seeking another dealership.
While not always obvious, most customers can sense when they’re not getting a straight answer. This ‘game’ played by salespeople often erodes the their greatest asset: trust. Being honest does not mean being overly blunt or insensitive, it means being forthcoming about potential negative aspects of a product of service in order to satisfy their needs, not necessarily make a sale.
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I think in a world of sketchy salesmen, the trustworthy and honest one will stand out all the more. While I can see how this might seem like an evasion tactic, assuming it is an expensive trailer for what it can tow, it could also have been an attempt to better understand the customer. If the salesman knows what you will use it for, he could direct you to a better trailer that fits your desires. Professor Sweet mentioned always answering a question with a question, but in this scenario, the salesman might have taken it a bit too far.
I completely agree your idea of how necessary of a role trust plays within sales situations. When trust has not been built, the consumer may feel as though the seller will take advantage of them. This may lead them to question the seller’s intentions and even keep them from making a purchase.
I certainly agree with the fact that a salesperson must be trustworthy to even be successful. Coming from a salesperson myself who has had to deal with the process of building trust with my clients, I can confidently say it is the most important thing when it comes to a sales conversation. I hope you eventually found a good trailer too!
You say quite a few interesting things in your post. An honest salesperson is way more approachable and can build trust between the buyer and the salesperson. Building trust is so important in sales. It’s the bare bones of the trade. Believing in your product is so important, too. It can raise your confidence in a sale or product. Being honest and giving exact specs when needed are vital. Be honest and listen for questions that you should answer.
Overall, I like your approach and view because it lines up with how we Christians should want to conduct ourselves professionally. We don’t want to pressure people or use tactics that seem manipulative or fake. We want to build trust, understand someone’s needs, and offer a solution. We need to be honest to be successful.