Trouble with being a Sales Person

[pawel15]

I wasn’t sure where to put this thread, anyway

I work as a computer sales person, at a succesful franchise chain.

A sales person gets 10% commision on how much profit he has made for the store. Anyway, sales people are always pressured into making a business $$$(profit), even if ii takes lying, cheating, manipulating or even pressuring a customer in forking out more money that he or she would want to spend. As a cathlolic you cannot do these things because it is simply wrong. Sales people are the most untrustworthy people because their job is to plz the store first, then the customer.

I have found it diificult to plz the store because i don’t think about making myself cash but to instead help customers.

Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I think every good Christian faces situations where we are criticized for being “countercultural.” It goes with the territory!

Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.” (Mark 10:29–30)

Maybe the “houses” and “lands” are the wealth you could acquire if you were less honest.

 

[Catholig]

I wasn’t sure where to put this thread, anyway

I work as a computer sales person, at a succesful franchise chain.

A sales person gets 10% commision on how much profit he has made for the store. Anyway, sales people are always pressured into making a business $$$(profit), even if ii takes lying, cheating, manipulating or even pressuring a customer in forking out more money that he or she would want to spend. As a cathlolic you cannot do these things because it is simply wrong. Sales people are the most untrustworthy people because their job is to plz the store first, then the customer.

I have found it diificult to plz the store because i don’t think about making myself cash but to instead help customers.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Be honest. Try not to sin.

Catholig

 

[amills]

I worked with a company in which I had a superb salesman. We discussed ethics on the front end. I told him not to sell our product to someone who did not need or want it. There was one potential client he wanted to put on but after discussing it we decided it was not in the best interest of the client. We then went to the potential client and told him that we did not think our service was right for him. We said that he was doing fine as he was without our service.

The result was that he was very happy with our honesty and referred others who needed our services to us. We rarely lost a client when we put the client first.

In my opinion, in business there should not be a conflict of interest between sales and store management. A good honest business will get much more business in the long run than one that goes for the short term sales.

Stick to your ethics and you will be a much better sales person and the store will benefit much from it.

 

[ricmat]

I had the good fortune to spend much of my career as an engineer, where there are fewer pressures like you describe. Perhaps this is why engineers and salesmen are natural enemies, like dogs and cats or snakes and mongooses. [See Dilbert!]

Even then, however, when you move up the ladder, the pressure and opportunity to make unethical choices grows dramatically.

I once refused a request by the president of the company, and he said “You’re really a straight arrow, aren’t you?” Although I took this as a compliment, that’s not how it was offered

Your company is unlikely to change the role of the salesman, so I’d suggest finding some other type of work where there is less pressure, or no pressure to be dishonest.

 

[pawel15]

Thankyou everybody for your advice, i really should consider changing my job.

Being a sales person is a perfect job, if you didn’t have a conscience. But the problem can be with customers themselves. Most of them are really demanding and don’t care that your trying to make a living in selling products. Every customer thinks your trying to rip them off, so they move on. I can try to be as nice and fare as i can, but because of most peoples general view on sales people being greedy and selfish, it’s sometimes difficult to gain their trust. Some days i really struggle.

But i just use the line ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’, as a simple rule to dealing with customers. But efcourse this won’t plz the managers unless i make the store $$$.

 

[whatevergirl]

I wasn’t sure where to put this thread, anyway

I work as a computer sales person, at a succesful franchise chain.

A sales person gets 10% commision on how much profit he has made for the store. Anyway, sales people are always pressured into making a business $$$(profit), even if ii takes lying, cheating, manipulating or even pressuring a customer in forking out more money that he or she would want to spend. As a cathlolic you cannot do these things because it is simply wrong. Sales people are the most untrustworthy people because their job is to plz the store first, then the customer.

I have found it diificult to plz the store because i don’t think about making myself cash but to instead help customers.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Sales people in general? Or at your store, you feel are disingenuous? I have been in sales and marketing for years…and have never lied to get ahead. I’m not in the same industry or type of sales, as you–but if you are pressured to lie and cheat–I’d quit there. There are many sales people from all industries who are very sincere…and honest. If you look at any job as ‘serving’ others…the sales, etc…will take care of themselves.

 

[whatevergirl]

Thankyou everybody for your advice, i really should consider changing my job.

Being a sales person is a perfect job, if you didn’t have a conscience. But the problem can be with customers themselves. Most of them are really demanding and don’t care that your trying to make a living in selling products. Every customer thinks your trying to rip them off, so they move on. I can try to be as nice and fare as i can, but because of most peoples general view on sales people being greedy and selfish, it’s sometimes difficult to gain their trust. Some days i really struggle.

But i just use the line ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’, as a simple rule to dealing with customers. But efcourse this won’t plz the managers unless i make the store $$$.

You can make the store money…if you put God first, and serve Him and others with a pure heart. If we seek to serve God and His kingdom first…the ‘work’ will take care of itself. There are cheaters everywhere…doctors, lawyers, accountants, insurance companies, construction companies…etc…they are everywhere. **There are moral crossroads–everywhere–in every line of work. **But, if we serve God and others–putting ourselves last–somehow, we are more productive this way. Just my thoughts.

Not everyone likes sales either…it might be that God would like you to be somewhere else, too? Good luck to you.

 

[dulcissima]

I think the real difference between being an average sales person and being a world class sales person is how you treat your customers. An average sales person might only have their next commission check in mind when they are making a sale. The world class salesperson has in mind all of their future commission checks years down the road when that satisfied customer comes back in again and again and tells all of their friends about the excellent service or deal that they got when they bought from you. The world class salesman is informed about the products that they sell and will use that knowledge to sell the customer the right product for their needs, even if it isn’t the most expensive one. He does this by asking questions, listening, and developing a raport with the customer. This will give the customer the confidence to say yes to this sales person and to feel good about their decision to buy. Sometimes this exceptional service makes a premium price legitimate, and the sales person’s conscience should not bother them in that regard.

Being in sales does not have to mean compromising your principles. In fact, if you stick to them, it is highly likely to get you ahead in the long run. The company that you work for should also be aware of this long term benefit for their business. When they look at the big picture, it is so much more cost-effective to have a business based upon repeat customers than it is to have to spend the advertising revenue to constantly search for new customers that haven’t been burnt by unscrupulous sales practices.

 

[whatevergirl]

I think the real difference between being an average sales person and being a world class sales person is how you treat your customers. An average sales person might only have their next commission check in mind when they are making a sale. The world class salesperson has in mind all of their future commission checks years down the road when that satisfied customer comes back in again and again and tells all of their friends about the excellent service or deal that they got when they bought from you. The world class salesman is informed about the products that they sell and will use that knowledge to sell the customer the right product for their needs, even if it isn’t the most expensive one. He does this by asking questions, listening, and developing a raport with the customer. This will give the customer the confidence to say yes to this sales person and to feel good about their decision to buy. Sometimes this exceptional service makes a premium price legitimate, and the sales person’s conscience should not bother them in that regard.

Being in sales does not have to mean compromising your principles. In fact, if you stick to them, it is highly likely to get you ahead in the long run. The company that you work for should also be aware of this long term benefit for their business. When they look at the big picture, it is so much more cost-effective to have a business based upon repeat customers than it is to have to spend the advertising revenue to constantly search for new customers that haven’t been burnt by unscrupulous sales practices.

excellent excellent post! I agree wholeheartedly. I think if you put others above yourself…serve others…like Jesus served His followers…then, the work takes care of itself.

 

[Eliza10]

I’ve noticed that when you do the right thing, the world makes you pay, but often in the long run, you make out better than you ever thought you would.

I am just reading about St. Thomas More and how in his profession he did the right thing, and he suffered financially for it, but I noticed later things got much better for him.

One of the things was soon after he was appointed, at a young age, to the House of Commons, King Henry VII requested of the Commons to approve of his request for 90,000 pounds for his daughters wedding. It would have been such a burden to the people, but none of those voting, even though it grieved them, wanted to displease the King. But More stood up and made a persuasive speech, and they voted to give him only 40,000 pounds. The King was furious and wanted revenge, so besides jailing and fining his father (he knew More had no money), he made sure no one would do business with More, for fear of disleasing the King. So More suffered financcially for a long while, but did that graciously, and he continued to do the right thing.

Later King Henry the VIII took the crown and More found great favor with him, so then did quite well in the world. (then, of course, things went bad when he was jailed and martyred, but then of course, things got much better after death!)

So all you can do is the right thing, and know that you will initiaially suffer for it, but you’ll earn your crowns in heaven and chances are good things will eventurally go rather well for you in this world.

Now you are building your character and your reputation. That takes awhile, and it costs you. But there are worldly rewards for those earning these traits. And those who are without character and without scruple do pull way ahead at the first, but often they end in ruin.

So do the right thing! And take your encouragement, and maybe patronage, in saints like St. Thomas More.

 

[melensdad]

While some sales people are not ethical, I find that the job of good salesperson requires the highest ethical standards. At my company we have an outside sales force. I have a couple golden rules that will result in the termination of a sales person. They are never allowed to badmouth the competition. They are expected NOT to lie. Now my business requires regular visits to regular customers so for a sales person to be successful he/she must earn the respect and trust of the customer; that is somewhat different than someone working in a retail store where a customer is not returning to buy goods on a regular basis. But the fact of the matter is that the best sales people know several things.

• They know their products very very well.
• They develop a rapport with their potential customer by asking what the customer needs and wants. Believe it or not, this can be done effectively at the first contact.
• They try to fit the customer with the best solution (which may not be exactly what the customer needs, or what the customer wants but may be a mixture of the 2, or may be neither).
• They ask for referrals.

If you want to be a good Catholic, and you want to be a good sales person, then do the job the right way, and when you satisfy the customer make sure you ask for referrals. Tell them your name, shake their hand, give them a business card (if your store does not provide them, then make some up on your computer) and ask them if they have any friends, relatives or neighbors who are shopping for your product. Tell them you’d really appreciate it if they would pass your card to that person, give them an extra couple of cards!!! Let them know your work schedule and tell them if they have questions that you’d be happy to talk to them again if they come back to the store, and if they do show up again, make sure you can help them -or- if you can’t make sure you KNOW the correct phone number to get the help they need. If you sell 4 different brands, then call the help line for each brand and make sure that is actually the help line number . . . you can even print it on the back of your business cards.

Again, KNOW your products very well. Become the sales person the other salespeople come to for help! Do it by being asking your customers questions, figuring out what they need (an objective purchase), seeing how that is different from what they want (an emotional purchase) and then fitting them to the best product for them. Sometimes the WANTS are more expensive than the needs, if the customer can afford it, then sell him/her what they want. If the customer is on an obvious budget, then make sure to sell what they NEED and make sure it is a good value. Those things will earn trust and will earn repeat and referral sales.

 

[StCsDavid]

I wasn’t sure where to put this thread, anyway

I work as a computer sales person, at a succesful franchise chain.

A sales person gets 10% commision on how much profit he has made for the store. Anyway, sales people are always pressured into making a business $$$(profit), even if ii takes lying, cheating, manipulating or even pressuring a customer in forking out more money that he or she would want to spend. As a cathlolic you cannot do these things because it is simply wrong. Sales people are the most untrustworthy people because their job is to plz the store first, then the customer.

I have found it diificult to plz the store because i don’t think about making myself cash but to instead help customers.

Does anyone else have this problem?

As a fellow salesman, I have found that if you have to lie to sell the product, then you need to find a different product to sell. I’ve also discovered in my twenty years of selling, that people buy the person more than the product. Be honest and never compromise your integrity and people will continue to buy from you and refer their friends. There’s a lot of stuff out there that needs selling. If the store where you are at is pressuring you to do unethical things…go sell for someone else. The quota you make with God is way more important than the store’s sale’s quota. Feel free to PM me if you have a more specific dilemma you want to bounce off a sales guy.

 

[kage_ar]

Successful sales people are honest sales people - I have worked with sales people my entire carreer, and have YET to see the exception to this rule.