Hard sell tatics by sales...
By ahgong
@ahgong (10064)
Singapore
September 1, 2008 2:18am CST
Have you ever encountered a sales person coming up to you and then try to "force" you into buying something?
I have witness a lot of these sales people. Especially from the credit companies where they try to hard sell you their credit products. From credit cards to loans to that brand new gadget that you can pay for in installments, with 0% installments of course.
Well, when I come face to face with a sales man who is trying to sell me something, most times, I would entertain them just to satisfy my curiosity over what they are selling. If I cross them on the street, that is the best. Cos I do not have to divulge my details to them while I listen to their sales pitch.
The worst ones are the ones who manages to get your number from somewhere.
If you are not interested in their product, or you even show a morbid stitch of curiosity over what they are selling, you are in for the long ride.
They will constantly call you. Hound you to reply to their emails. Send you loads of messages to ask you to sign up for some services. And it goes on and on and on... even when you indicate that you are no longer interested, they will find new products to try and off load them to you. And the cycles starts all over again.
Irritating bunch of fellows these are!
I mean, think of it this way, if I am interested, I would have long replied to your mails, messages or forms which require me to fill.
So if I am not interested, I would not be returning the forms nor replying to the message. It is such common sense, isn't it?
The more hard sell a sales person is, the more turned off I get. The more turned off I get, the less I will be inclined to buy. Agree?
How many of these sales people do you meet in a year?
How do you deal with these insistent people who tries to sell you things that you do not need or want?
4 people like this
6 responses
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
1 Sep 08
I have encountered lots of it b4 and it happens once when i was just passing by a standard chartered bank promotion suddenly the sales gal came up to me and following me asking me to sign up for their credit card thing etc.. BUt i was not interested at all and i told her no, but she keep talking and talking to me to the extend that i enter a shop, she followed suit!! Luckily the shop keeper knows that the shop is out of bounds to her, and he scolded her.. lol =D
I have never seen someone as desperate for sales like that gal.. lol =D Other than this, i also havhe got other examples but most of the time when i see them from far, i will pretend to talk on phone and just walk pass them.. haha
As for those thru phones or emails, i have not encountered those just yet ^_^ ANd if i meet those persistent ones, i will make sure i bombard their mails and phones.. lol
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
1 Sep 08
GEEZ, I can't believe it! I never know such a thing can happen in Singapore. Stanchart and she actually followed you in a shop?
Were you talking to her all this while? I expect that you were at least replying yes no, right? Otherwise, if it is just one way and you were just keeping quiet with no expression and kept walking, I can't believe she would be so brazen to follow you into a shop. That's out of her "territory" already.
But then again, it is not easy to do sales... you do before then you would know. So pity her a bit too. 
2 people like this
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
1 Sep 08
I just keep saying no and i'm not interested and i just hide inside the nearest shop possible, but i din expect her to follow me inside too.. I guess that's her 1st job and she's hard up for her commission, thus she dunno about where's her oen boundaries.. haha
I know their pain as i'm in the sales line too, but i do know my own limits and i do respect privacy ^_^
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
2 Sep 08
I do understand that it is difficult in the sales line.
I do not deny their difficulties as I have tried selling myself.
But to hard sell to the point of pestering? That I find is a little too much.
I mean, when you approach a person, it is easy to see if the person is interested or not.
And it is human nature that if you pester, they will back off. Finding you a nuisance instead. In the end, rather than want to buy, they will be turned off instead.
Instead of trying to hard sell, you let the person be, then check back, maybe once a week or so by sending a message, or highlighting the benefits of what you are selling in that update, that I feel is a better approach. Rather than keep calling and calling and calling and calling... "Want to buy or not?"... "Want to buy or not?"..."Want to buy or not?"..."Want to buy or not?"..."Want to buy or not?"...
like a broken record played over and over and over... it is really irritating.
The key to getting a successful sales is not to irritate the customer. But to make the customer feel like he just struck gold with his recent purchase. No?
1 person likes this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
1 Sep 08
Actually, I feel that the best way to avoid them is to avoid them.
I know I am not interested so I won't be curious. But really, if it is a road show, what they are selling is usually very obvious. Unless I am really gonna get something similar, I will not approach them or allow them to engage me.
They will say those nice hello sir, a moment of your time please. I will just smile to them if they are polite and say no thanks. I won't even pause and will just keep walking. They are those who are more rude - they literally come to you and step right in front of you. If you don't stop, you would probably knock them over or have your virgin kiss stolen by a hard selling saleswoman. 
I haven't been hounded that badly as you described - thank goodness I haven't been spammed by calls and emails!
By the way, are you aware of the no-call list? The next time you get called by a salesperson, you can ask him/her to place you on the no-call list and he/she is obliged to do that and the whole company cannot call you anymore. However, this is hard to enforce in practice and you might still get calls from that company (but maybe less or only after a long break). Yet when this happens, you can "legitimately" complain to HQ and escalate the matter. Then, you might really get spared or at least the calls will be even fewer or you will only be called after an even longer break.
If I don't want something, I just say no firmly then cut off communication. By continuing to "tai chi" with them, you are giving tacit permission for them to continue trying to persuade you. You will only have yourself to blame them.
It really depend on how much you want to be spared from harassment.
I haven't been hounded that badly as you described - thank goodness I haven't been spammed by calls and emails!
By the way, are you aware of the no-call list? The next time you get called by a salesperson, you can ask him/her to place you on the no-call list and he/she is obliged to do that and the whole company cannot call you anymore. However, this is hard to enforce in practice and you might still get calls from that company (but maybe less or only after a long break). Yet when this happens, you can "legitimately" complain to HQ and escalate the matter. Then, you might really get spared or at least the calls will be even fewer or you will only be called after an even longer break.
If I don't want something, I just say no firmly then cut off communication. By continuing to "tai chi" with them, you are giving tacit permission for them to continue trying to persuade you. You will only have yourself to blame them.
It really depend on how much you want to be spared from harassment.@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
8 Sep 08
Ah gong, you must be very firm. Firmly (but politely if you please) cut that person off. Do not give that person another chance to talk.
If he still keeps calling, warn him you do not tolerate any more calls from you. Make sure you get his name from him and tell him in no uncertain term that you will complain to his company if he persists. Of course, this is only a last resort - providing that person was rude and pesky. We can understand how tough it is to sell and what courage it must take him to call you again and again even after being rejected (assuming he keeps track) so let's remain "nice". 
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
8 Sep 08
Oh... there is such a thing as a no call list?
I am not aware of its existence.
I will definitely check it out to see if I can be put on that list.
That irritating fellow I was talking about, till today is still calling me to no end.
Even when I ignore his phone, he is still calling.
Don't these people ever know how to take a hint?
I have already told him I am not interested. AND then he brought in more products and services to sell. Sheeze~~~~! 
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
9 Sep 08
OH yes... I have encountered some of those. I used to have some trouble being assertive with them, when I was younger, but not anymore.
I am now able to tell them exactly what I want and where I would like them to go LOL
Nicely, of course, but firmly:)
The ones that bother me the most are the ones that pretend to hear what I want but still try to sell me what I don't want. I had that experience last summer and I wasn't pleased. THings got delayed because the broker kept giving me the contract for what I had specifically told him I didn't want.
So I had to explain to him, that either he was going to get the things the way I asked or I would be finding someone else that would. Funny thing, in one day - and after so many difficulties - I had what I wanted :)
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
9 Sep 08
I guess needing to play hard ball with them is the only way to get things done.
Especially when you have already engaged them for a particular job.
I too had a hard time getting my contractor to work towards my budget and my requirements during my renovations.
But perseverance and patience prevailed.
@naka75 (795)
• Singapore
3 Sep 08
These people are just simple minded. They are intoxicated by their companies or bosses to think that they can simply win people's hearts through persistent sales tactics. Their behaviour only serve to reflect their insecurity, fear of not getting a deal, and maybe many of their friends would have left them. The highest tactic of sales is to win people's hearts through friendship and trust, the use of soft power, as this will help increase the credibility and thus the network. For those guys on the streets trying to catch hold of their targets, I usually ignore them and walk away, don't even have to open my mouth to speak a word. For those who call my mobile to promote their products, I just say I don't need them, I'm very satisfied with the way I'm living.
1 person likes this
@squaretile (3778)
• Singapore
2 Sep 08
Yes the hard sell people are really off-putting. apart from credit card companies that haunt mrt stations - I always give them this super unfriendly hostile look and walk really fast. clog up space only. already the MRT stations are so crowded!
the other hard sell people i can't stand are those at beauty salons. or wellness spas. whatever they call themselves these days. i am there, trying to have a RELAXING massage and all they can do is sell sell sell. so in these circumstances I just write off the place and never return. the ironic thing is, the only time they didn't hardsell me, i readily agreed to purchase a package from a wellness place that just very mildly introduced me to what they had on offer after my session.
The last category of irritating hard sellers I have seen these days are those ang mohs selling some kind of bath salts from carts at shopping centres. they always prey on aunties and try to put products on your hand. i hate people touching me! so i also give them the same hostile GET away from me stare and vibe. so far it's worked. :)
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
8 Sep 08
Oh yeah, I have encountered those before.
There was this one time I made a really big scene at the perfume counter!
The sales person was a middle age woman. But I was so angry at that time, I did not really care much!
Even when her manager apologized, it didn't cut it!
I was waiting for my wife to finish her purchase at the make up department. Naturally, I started to walk around, browsing at the items on display.
Suddenly this woman just sprayed the perfumes she was holding a few centimeters away from my face. Hoping that I would have no choice but to smell the perfume and listen to her sales talk.
Having a sensitive nose, I started to sneeze immediately. None stop!
The worst part of it was, I was nursing a runny nose all morning. And I finally got it to stop! I was literally screaming at her! And she being defiant, was tell me not to go to the cosmetics department if I have a sensitive nose!
My goodness. Mild whiffs of perfume, I can take it. Having a fresh cloud of it sprayed in my face, is a no no.
My eyes watered, my nose itches, and I was sneezing almost none stops in between trying to hurl abuse at her!
It was really frustrating. That whole evening and night, it was nothing but sneeze sneeze sneeze sneeze!
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
1 Sep 08
yes i definitely have met these people. they can really be annoying at times. some days when i'm in a good mood i'll entertain them for a while. on really bad days i'll just wave them away. thankfully they don't call me often. if i get a lot of calls from them i think i'll just blow up. i really wonder why they will never give up. :(
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
8 Sep 08
Yeah... I know exactly what you mean.
They never give up at all.
Even when you tell them a straight no, I am not interested. They are still calling and calling!
Sigh... some people just do not know how to back off. The worst part of it is, I cannot stop these people from calling me either. Sickening!
