Sucky Salesperson: Lying to a Client

photo by: Everet Kamikawa

In the beginning of 2012 I wrote about getting more sales by calling clients back:
Make-more-sales-call-them-back
Here is another example of a sucky salesperson missing an opportunity by not only by not calling a client back, but by lying to them in the first place...


I recently purchased a security system.
The president of the company, whom I had met before, came to the meeting along with his new sales rep.
For the record I am a very easy sale.
I tell you what I want your product to do.
When it should be delivered.
What and how I will pay for it.
If you can answer those three questions you'll probably sell me something.


In the meeting we went through price and delivery and what I want from the system.
I wanted three things:
A, B, C.
We decided that A was the most important. B was second most important. C was a nice thing but ultimately discarded.
The potential problem with B was with my door locks. I showed the president and the salesperson my door locks. Both said there would be no problem with the locks and the system as it was described and installed. Both said they would be back with a proposal in the range of Y with a maximum of Z within three days.


During the meeting the president did all the talking about the system. In fact I joked several times that the rep shouldn't talk so much. Seven days later I got the proposal from the rep. It was Z and not Y. I was assured twice by the rep that the system would work for A and B and no problem with the door locks.

Day of install arrives. Installation is half done. The rep shows up. I ask when the installers will hook up the system to the door locks. I was told by the sales rep that the "system would not work with the locks and the president was looking for a solution." The rep said they would have an answer to me within a day.


SALES LESSON:
IT IS WRONG TO SELL SOMETHING YOU KNOW WON'T WORK, THEN TELL A CLIENT SOMETHING WON'T WORK AFTER IT HAS BEEN PAID FOR AND DELIVERED!


Apparently the sales rep thought saying "oooops" would be all that was needed to be done.
(I wrote that column already: Sucky-salesperson-forgetting-fees)


Five days after the install of the system I receive a proposal for making the system work with the door locks for an additional $1,000!


SALES LESSON:
IF YOU BREAK THE RULE ABOVE IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIX IT AT NO COST TO THE CLIENT!
IF YOU DON'T, SEVERAL CUSTOMERS WILL BE LOST AS THE TICKED OFF CLIENT TELLS EVERYONE THEY KNOW NOT TO USE YOU!


Here's the kicker:
Neither the president or the sales rep have called me back to see if I want the proposed solution or how I'm enjoying the part of the system that was installed. Seems like they're pretty scared because they know they lied. I wouldn't want to make that call either.
Thanks!
Ev
"A Heck of A  Nice Guy and a Good Salesperson"