The Anti-Selling Salesperson

General Sales: The Anti-Selling Salesperson

By Skip Anderson


I thought I might buy my wife an iPhone for Christmas. I went into the AT&T retail store to talk to a salesperson about it. I had to be one of the easiest customers ever, because I was quite certain that this was the perfect gift for my wife this year.

While answering one of the two questions I had about the device, my salesperson started to answer, but then he suddenly paused and said, "Hey, I'm not trying to sell you anything, just so you know. I'm not one of those used car salesman types."

Eventually I bought the iPhone and even asked about a case and a car charger for the phone. Like I said, I was an easy customer.

During this encounter with my salesperson, and as a consumer, I was puzzled by the salesperson's announcement that he wasn't trying to sell me. As consumers, how would we feel if our dentist paused while she was talking with us about the crown we need in order to tell us she wasn't trying to be like a "used car salesman."? Or how about a professional baseball player who announces to the press before the game that he's not really trying to get a hit when at bat (let alone not trying to field the ball when in the field). How odd would this be?

The Anti-Selling Phenomenon

But this salesperson behavior is something that's not uncommon. A portion of the selling profession is either embarrassed to be selling for a living, or they believe they'll sell more if they go so far in soft-pedaling their products and services that they actually become "anti-sellers."

All the sales training in the world will not help a salesperson sell more if they have the opinion that salespeople shouldn't sell. These people somehow believe that customers should simply decide to buy without the assistance or influence of a salesperson. Wildly successful salespeople employ various sales tactics to boost their sales. Probing for needs, qualifying prospects, giving effective sales presentations, and asking for the sale are all processes that salespeople employ to be competent in their professions. But anti-selling salespeople are reluctant (or unable) to employ any of these strategies.

Selling success makes a free market economy work. The transfer of goods and services in exchange for monetary compensation is at the very core of our economy and our society. How did we get to a point that salespeople feel their best sales strategy is to act like non-sellers in order to thrive?

Fear of Selling

There is a segment of the sales profession that has a fear of selling. This fear stems from one of three beliefs:
They believe selling is manipulative or even abusive. These individuals, whether selling B2C or B2B, are afraid of exerting influence and, therefore, are unable to be assertive in their dealings with their prospects.
They hate self-promotion. To be a successful salesperson, salespeople need to be able to successfully promote themselves as well as their products or services.
They'd rather be in a different career. These individuals can subscribe to a sales newsletter, go to sales seminars, and even employ the services of a sales coach, but none of these events will have much impact because these people don't really want to be salespeople.

Never Apologize

Here's a sales tip: Salespeople must never apologize for being a salesperson.

If an individual feels inclined to apologize to his prospects for selling, he should figure out why this desire exists. He should consider these questions: Do I have enough sales knowledge to perform at the level I'm expected to? Do I need sales training to boost my sales skills? Do I need to find a different career?

Selling is an honorable profession. Salespeople who are secure in themselves and in their career are far more likely to be successful than salespeople with anti-selling mindsets.

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