What can be done about unscrupulous sales people

TracyG

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Apr 26, 2009
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Reading a recent post about sales calls after doing price comparisons reminded me of when I did a price comparison for car insurance a few years back. I can't remember the company in question that called me back and tried to push me in to purchasing their insurance, but I do remember the pushy underhand sales tactics.

Basically, I'd compared car insurance quotes for my partner, entering his details as the policy holder and main driver, but entering my mobile number. Within 30 minutes the phone rang and a salesman asked to speak to my partner. I explained that it was myself that entered the details of the quote on my partners behalf, at which point the salesman told me that it wasn't a problem and he could set up this policy in my partners name right then over the phone without the need to speak to my partner (which surely must be illegal).

It annoyed me that I was being told that I could set up this policy, even though not in my name and yet I know from past experience that when it comes to making amendments to policies or cancelling, this is impossible to do when you're not the policy holder.

I have had so many dealings with unscrupulous sales people over the years, both as a consumer and in my work. Pushy sales people are bad enough, but what annoys me the most is those that resort to downright lies to sell a product or policy.

So what do we do to improve this? If I feel I'm being pushed in to a purchase or being lied to by a sales person, do I ask to speak to their supervisor? Do I ask for an address of the complaints department (do written complaints even do any good or are they just ignored)? I don't want to just accept and ignore these underhand tactics any longer.

I would just like to note that I have also over the years come across many decent, honest sales people who care about what is the best deal for the customer rather than the best commission for them.
 

Chutzpah

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Jan 9, 2009
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As someone in sales, I have on occasion critiqued their sales style. Puts them back a bit.

I'm by no means an 'expert salesperson', nor do I think I'm that brilliant compared to others I have met. But from personal and professional experience I know what I like in a sales person.

My first sales job had an element of 'keep pushing until they hang up' which I was never comfortable with, and I know for a fact that my colleagues thought that sometimes I gave up on a call too easily. But if they've already given three objections what's the point? In this role I was selling to high level business people - managing directors and chief executive of FTSE 100 companies and trust me, they were quick to hang up if they felt they were being pushed!

I booked less sales meetings than my colleagues (which was the aim of my role), but it was found that mine were more worthwhile for my managing director who went along. Despite this, I was still constantly told that I had to match my colleagues' figures. It's this sort of pressure that leads people to try the 'hard sell'.

As you can probably tell, I got pretty disillusioned in the role.

From this role I took a lot and it helped shaped my technique/ethos now. I never 'assume' that what I have will be wanted, I say "I'm not sure if I can help" or "I'm not sure if you're the right person to speak to". It takes a lot of the pressure off and I find that rather than hang up/blank me, they're more likely to suggest who I SHOULD be speaking it. It makes all the difference.

So my best advice if you have to deal with a pushy sales person is tell them that you don't appreciate their technique, and if need be tell them what you would prefer. Believe me, out of all the objections that they're trained to automatically counter, they wouldn't have been trained for that one! You'll probably find that they are speechless and then gently end the phone call.
 

Chutzpah

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Jan 9, 2009
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I forgot to mention one of my favourite sales calls... for all the wrong reasons.

I was just about to leave for work one day and was running a bit late. I got a sales call on my land line, and I politely told him that I was running late for work, and to be honest I wouldn't have been interested in his product.

I hung up, spent a minute or two trying to find my keys as I couldn't remember where I put them... and the phone rang again. I picked up and it was the same chap.

"You're still at home, I knew you were lying about being late for work"

This astounded me.

One: I was being called a liar by someone I didn't know or care about

Two: I really don't know what he was trying to achieve. I wasn't going to turn around and say "ho ho, you got me. Now, tell me more about your product". To this day (about six years later) I still can't work out what he hoped to achieve
 

TracyG

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Apr 26, 2009
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Interesting posts Chutzpah (and amusing).

My 18 year old recently had to upgrade her bank account from a childs to an adult account. Now, everytime she goes in to the bank she is enticed with offers of credit cards and overdrafts, sometimes by pushy sales people who don't like to take 'No' for an answer.

She goes shopping and is offered store cards with 15% off if she takes it out there and then.

There is something very wrong here, where sales people are allowed to prey on the new generation of adults, leading them down the road of credit and debt.
 

Tony

What Consumer Founder
Apr 7, 2008
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My brother lasted a week in a bank because of the pressure to sell products regardless of whether they were suitable or not. This was a few years back, so hopefully things have changed for the better. Although perhaps that is wishful thinking after reading your post Tracy.
 

Chutzpah

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Jan 9, 2009
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I hand on heart couldn't sell anything I don't believe in. Until she had our son last year my wife worked for Monsoon, and they were targeted on selling store cards to customers. Head Office would push hard to 'convert' more customers into having their card.

I wouldn't be able to push this. To me, personal finances are, well, personal and people should make really careful choices about such things, not after being pressured in store. I've never had a store card and can't think why I would want one. Stupidly high interest and terrible conditions from the ones I've seen.

Before I got into B2B sales I was a manager for a national leisure chain, I know from conversations that most had numerous store and credit cards, all up to the limit. To them it was funny.

I currently sell advertising for a website and I wholeheartedly believe in the site and what it does. I don't know how anyone tries to sell something that they're not 100% behind.