Author: S.
Arun Kumar, Assistant Professor, SMOT School of Business, Chennai
The river Ganga originates at the
Gangotri glacier in Himalayas, the word ‘lie’, originates from salesmen! Is it
so? General perception prevailing among the people is that, salesman pushes his
products in the market by telling several lies to his customers. But lies are
not only told to the customers, but also to their superiors. Here are the 7
commonly told lies by sales executives to their boss.
- I could reach my target this month, if my company reduces the prices
- Competitor is offering better prices!
- My territory is too small/big!
- No one is buying our products!
- Customer is not having money but he is willing to buy!
- I am not aware of the product of product specifications!
- Market is dull this year!
These
are blame excuses often given by sales man to convince their bosses, in which
even one cannot happen or can’t be given as a genuine reason. This in one way
shows the poor commitment towards their jobs and they are ready to convince
themselves, which reduces their self efficacy. Sales person should focus on
relationship marketing and act as a business consultant to the customer instead
of a typical salesman. They should have thorough market knowledge and know
about the competitor’s offering in terms of product features and price. This
will make them to sell their products with more confidence and courage.
Customer is more knowledgeable these days with the advent of internet and the
reviews by product/service users. Hence, it is very difficult to tell a lie and
push a product. The moment the customer realizes that the salesman is faffing
around, the deal is lost and the customer also loses trust with the retailer.
The entire marketing activity is shifting towards relationship marketing, where
the primary aim is to build mutually satisfying long-term relations with the
key-parties involved in the business process. Think before you lie!
No comments:
Post a Comment