Do you avoid places and situations where you are pressured to buy something?

Question:

There are a lot of places out there that are hurting for sales. The problem has gotten to be where I know that I avoid places that use high pressure sales tactics like the plague. Do you ever try to avoid these places and what would you do to change them?

Answer:

I believe that people are inherently turned off by high pressure sales tactics. No one wants to be pressured into buying something they aren’t ready to buy or get into a situation where they feel bad for not buying something (I do this sometimes). Nor do they want to get into a situation where they feel as though they have to get a credit card. So, if someone feels as though they have had an overly pushy sales person, they are much less likely to return to the store. This is just my opinion though.

Even passive sales pitches are something that irks me a little. Here’s a real example of what I’m talking about:

After Chris and I got married my insurance company sent us a card to congratulate us. I thought it was so thoughtful, until I opened it up and it said, “Congratulations! Have you thought about getting a life insurance policy?” This company has been pushing the life insurance policy on me for 5 years, and I’m not going to change my mind this time.

I think that a lot of places need to realize that when someone is shopping, they really do have something in mind. As a good sales person you can lead them in the direction they need to go or open them up to ideas that they may have not thought of, but pressuring them into buying something they don’t want is not going to win you any brownie points.

It looks like GM has found a way to sell some of its cars that may not have been able to be sold otherwise. Through a program with Ebay, GM in California only at this time, will begin selling new cars through the auction site.

The sale is set to start tomorrow on the site and GM is hoping to drum up some business.

Automobiles on the site will not be set up like an auction. They will be set up at buy it now fixed pricing with a “Submit Best Offer” button attached. You can submit your best offer for the car and the dealer can either choose to accept or reject it.

While the program is only for California buyers right now, it could spread nationwide as early as September if it is a successful venture for the company.

I think that this could be a good thing for buyers who are looking for a GM car. After all, it takes a lot of the pressure of going into a dealership and haggling away. Some people find haggling prices to be fun, I find it to be stressful and embarrassing. This way you can tell the dealership what you are willing to pay for the car and they can either accept your offer or not. I prefer this to having to hear a lengthy sales pitch about a car that I don’t want (this happened when I walked into a dealership wanting to ask about a smaller car and the salesman tried and tried to upsell me to the larger sedan. I want a smaller car because I don’t like large cars).

Of the GM brands left standing, Cadalliac will not be participating in the program. I suppose they find these cars to bee too valuable to go onto ebay? Buick will be participating, though. And even though it was supposed to die along with the “old” GM, Pontiac cars that are left overs will also be joining in on the program.