“Hi, Troy,” the e-mail read. “This is (let’s call him Scott) with Company X. I realize it’s been a while since we’ve talked. We met last year, and you had indicated that you might have interest in our offerings. I’d like to set up a time to talk, and see if we could do business. I look forward to seeing you again.” Nice e-mail. There’s only one problem.
I’ve never met Scott. I’m sure of it. I even looked him up on LinkedIn (we’re not connected). I have an above average memory (some would say exceptional), and if that meeting and conversation had happened, I’d know it. Scott is either lying and trying to fool me into believing that I know him, or he merged my e-mail into a group of people that he does know. Either way, his initial statement to me is false – which means that I won’t be paying attention to any other statements that he makes. It’s a basic sales scam, and it’s one of many that are unfortunately still being used over the years. Let’s discuss some more – and if you’re using them, stop it.
The “I already know you” scam: We’ve already discussed this one, but there are variations. Some people use the scam as Scott did; they directly approach the contact claiming a familiarity that doesn’t exist. Others use some variation of this scam to attempt to get receptionists or assistants to facilitate contact with a target contact. The problem with this one is, if you get found out (and you do), you lose any opportunity to sell to your contact.
The “I work for” scam: This one is a bald-faced lie. “Hi, Troy, this is Bob with IBM…” The only problem is that Bob doesn’t work for IBM. He works for a company that is a dealer or distributor of IBM. He’s trying to use the brand name to gain an entrée, and then he’ll let you know – later – that he works for a small company. Bob thinks he’s fudging a little bit. I think he’s lying, and again, it’s incredibly easy to find out. Some of you may be doing this one thinking that it’s OK. It’s not. However, I do see why you’d want to use a brand name; if you do, “agent of” is a great phrase. “Hi, Troy, this is Bob. I’m an agent of IBM…” Suddenly you’re truthful and still dropping the name of the big company.
The “I might be a customer” scam: This one is all too common. The salesperson arranges an appointment based on the idea that the salesperson is actually the customer. “But, hey, while you’re here, let’s talk about what I sell….” This one is difficult for the target prospect to extricate himself from, because he doesn’t want to make a bad impression on a potential customer. But ultimately he feels deceived and misused.
The “buy today” scam: “Buy today; this deal won’t be available tomorrow!” OK, we’ve all seen this one. Car dealers live by it. It’s a means of applying pressure and urgency into the buying process. The trouble is that most customers will figure it out. “So,” they’ll ask, “If I come back in tomorrow and offer to make this deal, you won’t take it?” You (the salesperson) is left stuttering.
Why have I spent a column talking about these scams? Because they’re still being used today, unfortunately. What’s happened in selling is that these scams are getting easier and easier to figure out.
All of these tricks – and hundreds more that I haven’t talked about – are based on fear and insecurity. The salesperson believes, in his heart of hearts, that what he has to offer the customer, if presented honestly, isn’t good enough. Hence, the salesperson tries to create a false perception in an effort to “win” business. It seldom works. And it works even less with each passing year.
If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said. And if customers won’t buy based on the truth, it’s time to rethink more than just your sales pitch.
