3 ms·

> I skip all the prelim questions where they "learn about your business" which is just looking for other opportunities to pitch me things. I know my business, I

> I skip all the prelim questions where they "learn about your business" which is just looking for other opportunities to pitch me things. I know my business, I know my need, let's talk about how your product fits that. The only way for the sales folks to tailor a demo or presentation for you is to learn about your business. Your method here comes across as very transactional and impersonal, you need a relationship with your sales rep as much as they need one with you so they will have your back or give you discounts. It's how the game is played.

thereisnospork 3y ago
>The only way for the sales folks to tailor a demo or presentation for you is to learn about your business. Your method here comes across as very transactional and impersonal, you need a relationship with your sales rep as much as they need one with you so they will have your back or give you discounts. It's how the game is played. My POV: Most of the time none of these things are only value-detractors, not value-adders. 95+% of the time I know what I want I just need a price and someone to hand me a credit card form for it. Very occasionally I have a specific need and am fishing for a solution. As for relationship and trust? There is a complete divergence of interests between me and people selling me stuff, there is not and cannot be 'trust'. Sure it is nice to small talk once in a while but that's really not why I'm calling. Accordingly I divert my spend to the largest extent possible towards suppliers with transparent pricing, transparent technical data, and a friction-less sales process (Read: no synchronous communication requirements).
- hermanradtke 3y ago
  As an engineer, I am the same way. Since I’ve been working more closely with sales I have learned the overwhelming majority of people are not like this.
seanhunter 3y ago
> The only way for the sales folks to tailor a demo or presentation for you is to learn about your business. Yes and it's their job to do that, not waste the buying decisionmaker's time doing their homework for them.
- burnte 3y ago
  Yeah, I work at a company that has a VERY clear website showing exactly what we do and what it's limited to. If you ask me what we do, that tells me you literally didn't even look at our website.
kentm 3y ago
No we don’t need a relationship. It is transactional, and the fact that they think they need a relationship wastes time and aggravates me. Yes it’s better for them if they “build a relationship” because it better enables them to upsell, but it’s not at all necessary or advantageous for the person buying the product. I don’t need them to “tailor their experience” to me. I need them to be transparent about their functionality and the technical details so I can scope value and integration efforts. The sales people never want this because it easily exposes that they’re trying to sell me a lemon. If you are a salesperson and trying to build a relationship with me then you need to stop. You are being a sociopathic douchebag, flat out. You are not actually interested in me or my problems beyond making the sale so stop pretending.
burnte 3y ago
> The only way for the sales folks to tailor a demo or presentation for you is to learn about your business. I know my business better than they ever will, and I care about it more too. > Your method here comes across as very transactional and impersonal, This is exactly as it should be and precisely what I desire from my vendors. We can become friendly along the way and over time, but at the start I only care about what you can do for me and what it costs. > you need a relationship with your sales rep as much as they need one with you so they will have your back or give you discounts. It's how the game is played. It's one way the game is played. I don't play it that way and after a very short time salespeople that work with me LIKE how I do it. It's fast, efficient, and their commissions are the easiest they have because I neither need nor want lots of handholding. Imagine I send you an email asking for $40k of equipment, and to make your $2k all you have to do is enter the order. Even better, imagine you have a 60 minute presentation, and I cut in after 5, ask a handful of very specific questions, and after 20 minutes I'm ready to buy because I got the info I needed. You've made a sale, and saved over half of your hour. Don't play the game, run it.
mikecoles 3y ago
Just as I do not need a relationship with a grocery clerk or used car dealer, I do not need a relationship with any salesperson. Interaction is formal and transactional.

thereisnospork 3y ago

>The only way for the sales folks to tailor a demo or presentation for you is to learn about your business. Your method here comes across as very transactional and impersonal, you need a relationship with your sales rep as much as they need one with you so they will have your back or give you discounts. It's how the game is played. My POV: Most of the time none of these things are only value-detractors, not value-adders. 95+% of the time I know what I want I just need a price and someone to hand me a credit card form for it. Very occasionally I have a specific need and am fishing for a solution. As for relationship and trust? There is a complete divergence of interests between me and people selling me stuff, there is not and cannot be 'trust'. Sure it is nice to small talk once in a while but that's really not why I'm calling. Accordingly I divert my spend to the largest extent possible towards suppliers with transparent pricing, transparent technical data, and a friction-less sales process (Read: no synchronous communication requirements).

hermanradtke 3y ago
As an engineer, I am the same way. Since I’ve been working more closely with sales I have learned the overwhelming majority of people are not like this.

seanhunter 3y ago

> The only way for the sales folks to tailor a demo or presentation for you is to learn about your business. Yes and it's their job to do that, not waste the buying decisionmaker's time doing their homework for them.

burnte 3y ago
Yeah, I work at a company that has a VERY clear website showing exactly what we do and what it's limited to. If you ask me what we do, that tells me you literally didn't even look at our website.

kentm 3y ago

No we don’t need a relationship. It is transactional, and the fact that they think they need a relationship wastes time and aggravates me. Yes it’s better for them if they “build a relationship” because it better enables them to upsell, but it’s not at all necessary or advantageous for the person buying the product. I don’t need them to “tailor their experience” to me. I need them to be transparent about their functionality and the technical details so I can scope value and integration efforts. The sales people never want this because it easily exposes that they’re trying to sell me a lemon. If you are a salesperson and trying to build a relationship with me then you need to stop. You are being a sociopathic douchebag, flat out. You are not actually interested in me or my problems beyond making the sale so stop pretending.

burnte 3y ago

> The only way for the sales folks to tailor a demo or presentation for you is to learn about your business. I know my business better than they ever will, and I care about it more too. > Your method here comes across as very transactional and impersonal, This is exactly as it should be and precisely what I desire from my vendors. We can become friendly along the way and over time, but at the start I only care about what you can do for me and what it costs. > you need a relationship with your sales rep as much as they need one with you so they will have your back or give you discounts. It's how the game is played. It's one way the game is played. I don't play it that way and after a very short time salespeople that work with me LIKE how I do it. It's fast, efficient, and their commissions are the easiest they have because I neither need nor want lots of handholding. Imagine I send you an email asking for $40k of equipment, and to make your $2k all you have to do is enter the order. Even better, imagine you have a 60 minute presentation, and I cut in after 5, ask a handful of very specific questions, and after 20 minutes I'm ready to buy because I got the info I needed. You've made a sale, and saved over half of your hour. Don't play the game, run it.

mikecoles 3y ago

Just as I do not need a relationship with a grocery clerk or used car dealer, I do not need a relationship with any salesperson. Interaction is formal and transactional.