I don’t think this has anything to do with business schools—business and marketing when I was in college years ago typically cast the sales and marketing more towards consumer intelligence gathering so the “persistent” sale staff would be doing much more asking about wants and needs, then pointing out how their product serves those wants and needs so well rather than the (perhaps not so stereotypical used car salesman) push to get you to sign the sales contract. But that’s a whole different topic I think.
I do get annoyed and sales people that are only about getting the sale and that don’t take “I am looking now, not buying” for an answer. And I think it’s a rather common response to be less polite when that first “No” seems to be completely ignored. But, I also try to remember I walked into the store on my own two feet with no gun at my head so should keep that in mind when reacting to someone just doing their job—even when I think they are doing a really poor job of it.
A bit of a tangent here, but why is everyone using the 1% chance of a future sale? If I’m going through all the effort to go somewhere to look firsthand at some product I’ve generally already made the decision that I will buy so 1% seems really low. Do many people just go “window shopping” for a lot of big ticket items (I’ve never got the hard sell when looking to by a cheap pen or sodas or notebook—or even a laptop or phone for that matter). That might explain the “don’t take No for an answer” dance any point to a fragility in a consumption driven socio-economic social model.
I agree. I would have much more respect and tolerance for a salesman or saleswoman in a shop than for a solicitation at home or by phone. ~1% in context is a poor way to say “a slim chance”, something far below 50%. And I was thinking in this case of an unplanned purchase.
I don’t think this has anything to do with business schools—business and marketing when I was in college years ago typically cast the sales and marketing more towards consumer intelligence gathering so the “persistent” sale staff would be doing much more asking about wants and needs, then pointing out how their product serves those wants and needs so well rather than the (perhaps not so stereotypical used car salesman) push to get you to sign the sales contract. But that’s a whole different topic I think.
I do get annoyed and sales people that are only about getting the sale and that don’t take “I am looking now, not buying” for an answer. And I think it’s a rather common response to be less polite when that first “No” seems to be completely ignored. But, I also try to remember I walked into the store on my own two feet with no gun at my head so should keep that in mind when reacting to someone just doing their job—even when I think they are doing a really poor job of it.
A bit of a tangent here, but why is everyone using the 1% chance of a future sale? If I’m going through all the effort to go somewhere to look firsthand at some product I’ve generally already made the decision that I will buy so 1% seems really low. Do many people just go “window shopping” for a lot of big ticket items (I’ve never got the hard sell when looking to by a cheap pen or sodas or notebook—or even a laptop or phone for that matter). That might explain the “don’t take No for an answer” dance any point to a fragility in a consumption driven socio-economic social model.
I agree. I would have much more respect and tolerance for a salesman or saleswoman in a shop than for a solicitation at home or by phone. ~1% in context is a poor way to say “a slim chance”, something far below 50%. And I was thinking in this case of an unplanned purchase.