Can you help with my project? Please? I need opinions, stories, judgements, likes and dislikes on Sales people !

[GivePeasAChance]

I am doing a project about sales people.

I need to get opinions, stories, likes, dislikes, what makes a sales person good / what makes a sales person bad?

What is your worst experience with a sales person?

Do you think certain personalities are better at sales than other personalities?

Anything you have to say / share about sales people in business, at home, in shops / on the phone, face to face . Anywhere. Anytime.

Would be much appreciated.

I hate being badgered incessantly
I hate being told it's a one time offer when it's not

I like easy going people who know a lot about what they are selling and are big enough to say you know I'm not sure confidently and either try find out or logically work it out.

I will not buy and I do complain if I feel bullied in anyway.
the guy from the double glazing ads YER BUY OONE YER GER OOONE FREE I'd have to hurt him if he arrived to flog me windows.

If the kitchen sales people leap out at me while shopping I warn them I will just keep rolling ...

I don't trust anyone trying to sell me anything. Full stop.

I will not buy anything from cold callers. If I want/need something I'll do my own research and choose a company based on that.

I do not like every single elctricity/gas/phone provider calling me or arriving on my doorstep to tell me they are the cheapest.

I hate the way they tell you that "your neighbours have all signed up for..."

Smarmy, bullying or domineering people will not sell me anything.

Certain people are better at selling (I was shit at it when I had to do it-media sales). I think to be sucessful in sales you have to be confident, have good interpersonal skills, know your product inside out and believe in it (or at least be able to convince others you do)

In shops I like sales people to let me have space to look and browse without feeling pressured or watched.

If I was buying something big I'd like the salesperson to listen to what I need rather than just trying to flog me whatever they'll get more commission on.

People that try to stop me in the street can fuck off

Thanks guys

Anyone else wish to comment

I was in sales for years, successfully, but not as successfully as the really bitchy hard nosed colleagues I had around me. It's a tough job and it's not a job you can switch off from as you're constantly faced with unwillingness from the people you speak to BUT it has given me an understanding of what the job entails so when I am called by or approached by a sales person, I know what they're thinking and the angle they're going for which can be quite handy in heading them off!!!

DH enjoys going into retailers like Currys/PC World/Comet etc and getting into a conversation with a sales monkey ("If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys") about a hi-fi/tv/laptop and flaunting the fact that he knows more about the product than they do.

I hate it when sales people in stores stand around chatting when you need help, but seem to badger you constantly when you're just browsing.

My own personal worst experience...

I got a cold call on my home phone a few years ago from a double glazing firm. I did actually agree to make an appointment for someone to come round as I felt badgered into it. A few minutes later, he phoned back to confirm a date and time with me and I told him I'd changed my mind. He asked why and I said I had just decided against it. He was really rude about it and after I'd said goodbye, he phoned me several more times asking why I'd changed my mind. He was very intimidating and I was glad it was me and not some poor old lady he was getting at.

Worst experience as part of a couple...

When I first married and bought a house 25 years ago, the water was extremely hard and we got a call about having a water softener fitted. We had an American salesman come round one evening and he sat and talked us silly. We eventually signed on the dotted line, paid a deposit and was told that of course we could change our minds within 7 days ~ which we did do, after discovering that a lot of what he had told us was utter rubbish. He was phoning up each night for ages refusing to return our deposit and we decided to cancel the cheque. He then phoned up with even more abuse.

Can't think of the best, but I think I've had more good experiences than bad

for shops I would try to talk to Lakeland as they try to hand pick all their staff on the basis that each customer coming in is to be given the treated as if they only have this once chance to do everything right for them. [www.lakeland.co.uk Lakeland]]

We were looking for some double glazing quotes - and invited a few well-know firms round. We were very open with them - said that we were looking at products and quotations and would be comparing, so would not be confirming any order when they came round.

One young man came round - talked for so long that I had to go out (to take the dog out - otherwise she would not have gone out - he'd already been in the house for an hour and a half which I thought was more than enough time to sort out a quote - but hadn't even done the figures. So I suggested that he should do some measuring up outside whilst I was out and work out some costs while I walked the dog - and dh would be back shortly after I would, so he could give the quote to both of us.

When he came back in, he settled down and started to work out figures. I don't know what he had been doing in the car for the previous 45 mins.

So dh came in, and got some of the sales patter. He eventually came up with the quote - and passed us the papers wiht the dotted line to sign. I reminded him that, as I had said at the beginning of the meeting, we wouldn't be agreeing any price - he got quite shirty, saying it was a really good price etc etc. He even decided that we needed to talk to his boss and explain why we were not accepting his quote. This got more and more uncomfortable - dh and I both reiterated that we wouldn't be making a decision - and that it was now time he went, and that we would contact him if we decided to go ahead (yeah, right ), but it actually took me picking up his briefcase and removing it from the house to get rid of him. Needless to say they didn't get our business.

My advice to anyone hassled with calls from honme improvement companies like double glazing, conservatories etc - tell them you rent the house.
As a student I did a temp job for Anglian windows to bring in extra cash and we were told to wind the call up if the person rents as they can't make any decision on home improvements if they don't own the home, so we just moved onto the next call.

I have a stock answer to cold calls at the door and by phone and that is that I don't do any purchasing on my doorstep/over the phone but they are free to send informtion if they wish...they never take me up on that!
Same with those canvassers in shopping precincts who ask you to sign up for a direct debit to help some charity.

Yes, FrankMustard, I started to tell them all that I rent my house about 3 years ago. Works a treat!

Also, if I don't want to be hassled by gas/electric companies that want me to change to them, I just tell them that I owe British Gas loads of money.

Telling them you owe loads is a good tip! haha!

Frank that's true actually, you do need to be hard nosed. The people I worked with when I was in sales who did best didn't care who they trampled down to get what they wanted. They were also able to form and discard friendships based on how useful that person was to them

i will not, WILL NOT buy over the phone or on the doorstep

by all means, send written info, but i am not giving my bank details over the phone or to a random person on teh doorstep

sales people need to take the 'no thank you' nicely.

don;t start a marketing/sales pitch/call with

hi, how are you today? /are you enjoying the weather chit chat.. just pitch. the pleasantries make it cringeworthy and are supposed to guilt you into buying something

direct, honest, good value and face to face works best for me. no pressure and no gimmicks.

I agree Lulumama, there's nothing more annoying than answering the phone and being met with Hello, how are you today blahdeeblah....I@m not at all polite I'm afraid and say I'm fine thanks but who are you and why are you calling! I ay have been in sales in the past myself but at least I didn't do this awful drivel and smarmy conversation that they seem to be instructed to do these days. Oh, and I hate it when customer service ask for your first name and then use it for the rest of the call - I'm no prude but I don't want some young 20something referring to me as if I'm their mate when I only called them to ask them to sort out the Sky box etc. Bah humbugs!!! Rant over.....