Open Letter to anyone buying (or actually not buying) anything from a salesperson
TweetDear Prospect,
Good salespeople build their entire career based on one of integrity. We believe, that every step of the way, we should be open and honest with you about our product, about its limitations, about how and where we are better and worse than our competition. We even try to be completely transparent and honest with you about our sales process so that we can start our relationship on the right footing.
Therefore, there is really no reason for you to tell us you want the product, or give us a verbal commit unless you really do in fact want to buy our product. We are salespeople, and we are accustomed to rejection. In fact, our entire mode of working is based on the fact that only some of you will buy. We know that many of you will not buy, and we are OK with that. Our bosses are OK with that. We all know the way this works.
But, as we said, our careers are based on integrity, and when you tell us, “yes I’ll buy that. Its all the way through legal and I have my bosses approval.” and then you disappear from the face of the earth, it makes us look bad. We’ve tried to do right by you, please try to do right by us. When we mark a deal as “verbal commit” and then we can’t get you on the phone, the contract never appears, and the sale never happens, we look bad to our managers, our CEO’s, our investors, and advisors. These people question whether we ever really got the verbal commit, or if we did it simply to save our own skin – yet, it seems to be an epidemic these days of you prospects not wanting to tell us “no. I won’t buy,” and you continue our relationship longer than it needs to be continued.
Yes.. we are not going to take a NO answer without a fight but since we are honest salespeople, we really want to find the solution that works for you. We are on your side…if we need to help get you a better price, or get something thrown in, we will fight for you because we want to establish a long relationship that allows us to get sale after sale after sale. I’m more concerned about getting you the right solution, and doing the right thing, then I am about cash, because I’m in this for the long haul with you and with my company.
But… if there is really no way that you will ever buy from us, or you boss has shut you down, or you don’t have the budget, or you just think we are not a company you want to do business with… its really OK. I’d rather have you tell us NO, then have us turn into “that sales person” who calls EVERY day, sends email after email, and just generally becomes a persistent pain in the butt. However, if you tell us, “Lets call on Monday and finish this up because my boss has said yes,” and then you don’t take our calls on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and on and on… you can be sure that we’re going to keep going after you. We are trained to keep going when the conversation gets had, and the sale is emminent.
We commit to always be honest with you… just please always be honest with us. I promise, we will have lots more positive interactions, and everyone will have less stress.
Sincerely,
Salespeople
