Sales Rep 101 – Chapter 24

High Pressure Sales

I have been in sales for over 30 years and I am still surprised when I hear how managers talk to their reps about pushing for the first call close at any costs. If you managers knew you were reading this they would probably not be happy. But times have changed and people absolutely hate high pressure sales people. That doesn’t mean that you can’t sell if you are a high pressure sales rep. I know many reps that use high pressure tactics and mainly because if fits their personality. I’ve never been that type of sales rep and I have had countless managers try and get me to be more aggressive. However, once you show your manager that you can be successful without being a high pressure rep then they will probably let you sell the way you want.

People over the years have caught on to most of our sales tactics and they will not fall for them anymore. Let’s talk about some of the most common high pressure tactics.

I can offer you this discount today but once I leave it will be full price. Now, do you really believe that customers think that you will not offer them the same discount if you want to buy in a week?

Start high and keep going down in price until they say yes. I see this a lot but here is the problem. People talk and what happens to the people that bought high? When they find out what you offered someone else that becomes bad press. And that news spreads fast.

Talking down to customers and making them feel stupid if they don’t buy from you. I know you may not believe this is a real tactic but believe me I have seen this many times.

Now, let me ask you something. If you are using these or other high pressure tactics do you think those people would ever refer anyone to you. No way. You may get that sale but you will never get a referral. And in fact their friends and family may decide to look somewhere else based on their experience. I’m in In-Home sales so I understand the importance of closing the sale before I leave their house. But I am willing to go back to make a sale even though it will take more time instead of leaving them with a bad feeling about me. I have had many customers that have decided to go with me just because of that. They were high pressured and the rep talked bad about us and the customer did not like that.

I know your manager will want you to be aggressive and you can still work hard on a first call close without coming off like a complete ass. You can still offer a special deal for that day only but it is in your presentation that needs to be non-high pressure. Find 2 or 3 things that you can talk about that are advantages of closing that day and use those in a non-pressure way. Let me give you an example.

I have a max discount that I can offer which is 15%. I tell people that if they are thinking about buying today I will offer an additional 3% off if we sign up today. Then I will tell them that it is more than what I am authorized to offer but my boss will have a harder time saying no when I have a closed deal in my hands. So I was able to offer them something that would make it worth it (average $300 extra savings) but I said it in just the natural process of the sale. You don’t have to be high pressure to work on first call closing.