Comments on: Real Life Sales Stories – Responding to Pressure http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/sales-pressure/ Internet Marketing, Branding and Web Development for B2B Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:45:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brad Shorr http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/sales-pressure/comment-page-1/#comment-1610 Brad Shorr Mon, 26 May 2008 11:44:01 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/?p=534#comment-1610 Hi Andrew, In industrial sales, there's sometimes a fine line between bluffing and bullying. Taking a hard line stance in a negotiation is an OK tactic, but when professionalism goes out the window, you lose even if you win in the short term. After a while, reputable companies simply won't deal with you. Hi Andrew, In industrial sales, there’s sometimes a fine line between bluffing and bullying. Taking a hard line stance in a negotiation is an OK tactic, but when professionalism goes out the window, you lose even if you win in the short term. After a while, reputable companies simply won’t deal with you.

]]> By: Andrew Heaton http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/sales-pressure/comment-page-1/#comment-1609 Andrew Heaton Mon, 26 May 2008 11:25:25 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/?p=534#comment-1609 Like Amy, I am completely not one for confrontation. That's why, like Robert, I could never imagine myself in sales. Like Chuck, I could imagine the unfair treatment would cause many to leave the sales and marketing profession. Bullying tactics like the above are unfair, but they are an unfortunate reality. Your example does, however, raise an interesting question as to whether bullying behavior is effective (not to mention the ethics involved) in negotiations. I can understand why some may see bullying behavior as an effective means to negotiate advantageous terms. Such behavior may certainly cause more timid counter-parties to back down in fear. However, in the above circumstance, you guys did not give in to that rubbish. Moreover, their behavior ensured that you guys could not give any ground at all without a very severe loss of face. In any negotiation, I would have thought that if you want your counter-party to give any ground at all, you have to provide a face-saving way for them to do it. In the case of your buyer, because they did not provide you with a face saving way out, they virtually elinated any chance they may have otherwise had for you to give any ground at all. Good on you guys for sticking to your guns! Cheers Andrew Like Amy, I am completely not one for confrontation. That’s why, like Robert, I could never imagine myself in sales.

Like Chuck, I could imagine the unfair treatment would cause many to leave the sales and marketing profession.

Bullying tactics like the above are unfair, but they are an unfortunate reality.

Your example does, however, raise an interesting question as to whether bullying behavior is effective (not to mention the ethics involved) in negotiations.

I can understand why some may see bullying behavior as an effective means to negotiate advantageous terms. Such behavior may certainly cause more timid counter-parties to back down in fear.

However, in the above circumstance, you guys did not give in to that rubbish. Moreover, their behavior ensured that you guys could not give any ground at all without a very severe loss of face.

In any negotiation, I would have thought that if you want your counter-party to give any ground at all, you have to provide a face-saving way for them to do it.

In the case of your buyer, because they did not provide you with a face saving way out, they virtually elinated any chance they may have otherwise had for you to give any ground at all.

Good on you guys for sticking to your guns!

Cheers

Andrew

]]> By: Brad Shorr http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/sales-pressure/comment-page-1/#comment-1608 Brad Shorr Thu, 22 May 2008 12:03:52 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/?p=534#comment-1608 Hi Robert, Amy, Please let me reassure you, I thought to write up this story because it is so unusual, not the norm (for me, anyway). We were trained to treat others professionally no matter what -- training that sure came in handy here. Hi Robert, Amy, Please let me reassure you, I thought to write up this story because it is so unusual, not the norm (for me, anyway). We were trained to treat others professionally no matter what — training that sure came in handy here.

]]> By: Chuck http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/sales-pressure/comment-page-1/#comment-1607 Chuck Thu, 22 May 2008 12:01:09 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/?p=534#comment-1607 Unfair, that's the kind of thing that got me out of sales. Granted, it didn't happen often, but I'm better in other areas. Unfair, that’s the kind of thing that got me out of sales. Granted, it didn’t happen often, but I’m better in other areas.

]]> By: amypalko http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/sales-pressure/comment-page-1/#comment-1606 amypalko Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:11 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/?p=534#comment-1606 To be honest, Brad, this sounds like my worst nightmare! I'm not one for confrontation, and I don't think I deal with it very well. I'm impressed that you guys managed to keep your cool and maintain your professionalism, even when the plant manager had clearly abandoned his. I don't respond well to manipulation, which this clearly was on the company's part, and so I personally believe it to be unfair. I'm more than willing to listen to a different take on it, though! To be honest, Brad, this sounds like my worst nightmare! I’m not one for confrontation, and I don’t think I deal with it very well. I’m impressed that you guys managed to keep your cool and maintain your professionalism, even when the plant manager had clearly abandoned his. I don’t respond well to manipulation, which this clearly was on the company’s part, and so I personally believe it to be unfair. I’m more than willing to listen to a different take on it, though!

]]> By: Robert Hruzek http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/sales-pressure/comment-page-1/#comment-1605 Robert Hruzek Thu, 22 May 2008 11:54:48 +0000 http://www.wordsellinc.com/?p=534#comment-1605 Yikes, Brad! This sort of thing really happens out there in the real world? It's amazing the different ways people come up with to deal with issues - quite the continuum, from calm to volcanic. This is why I never imagined myself in sales! Yikes, Brad! This sort of thing really happens out there in the real world? It’s amazing the different ways people come up with to deal with issues – quite the continuum, from calm to volcanic. This is why I never imagined myself in sales!

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