The effectiveness of hardball sales tactics may have always been more hype than proven sales strategy, but it’s certainly an ineffective tactic in today’s sales environment, with prospects having access to so much information, says Heather R. Morgan, an economist and founder of Salesfolk, a provider of outbound email templates. Prospects already know most of what your product or service and those from competitors can accomplish. What they want more than anything is to work with someone who knows their business and can provide a great experience.
In a recent article for Forbes.com, Morgan addressed three common bullying sales tactics and why they are ineffective:
- Putting time pressure on buyers – Urgency has to exist for a reason or it makes no sense. Unless your product or service is seasonal (and that’s mostly the retail world), imposing a time limit on prospective customers doesn’t make sense and risks damaging a relationship with a potential customer.
- Offering aggressive discounts that make no sense – Slashing price or throwing in extras that normally would be included in an upsell screams desperation and sets a dangerous precedent. If the prospect says yes this time, they’ll probably expect similar extras when it’s time to purchase again.
- Bullying a customer to the close – Bullying comes in many forms: straight-up pushiness or more subtle tactics like asking, “When would you like your service to begin?” before the customer is ready to make a purchase decision. C-suite executives are quick to spot sales bullies and will be quicker to walk away.
There’s nothing wrong with bold selling tactics, Morgan says. Obsequiousness can be equally off-putting. “Take time to understand your prospective customer, their needs and which behavior you think they’d best respond to. If you’re including a dash of humility into the mix, you’re almost always going to provide a great experience for your potential customers.”
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