Don't Be a Jackhole: What Ghosting Salespeople has to do with Gordon Gekko, Steak Tartare, and Inflation!
Like any good capitalist running a business, from time to time, a stray sales call will circumvent the castle walls, drawbridges, and castellans I set up to keep them out. I respect a good salesperson and will usually try to be as polite as possible, but most of the time, I'm not interested. I'll listen to their pitch, but I won't necessarily extend the conversation much beyond a simple "No thank you." I at least owe them that. I understand the challenges of sales and respect the tenacious effort put forth by any salesperson who manages to breach the defenses and reach my ear.
This applies doubly to folks who've come in through proper channels and with whom I have established a relationship. If I've had a Zoom call, an in-person meeting, or several phone conversations or emails with someone and shown some interest in their product or service, they have invested their time, energy, and resources into building a connection with me. It is not a free venture. It costs someone something for that salesperson to make that call or draft that email. When you suddenly go dark on them, you're not just wasting their time—you're disregarding their humanity. Their humanity! How's that for ratcheting up the drama?
Sure, you can act like Gordon Gekko. Too busy to deal with the likes of some lowly sales rep you spent 30 minutes of your precious time with on a Zoom call. But between bites of steak tartare and sips of your 1988 Piper-Heidsieck, known for its balance and complexity of course, you might consider the words of Christ Himself: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Yes, you can pretend to be Gordon Gekko, but would you want the same wanton disregard for the Golden Rule to be applied to your calls, emails, or those of your sales reps or recruiters?
For those of you who are not dining at the 21 Club, simply think about it from how you would want to be treated. If you need time to consider their proposal, that's fine. But have the decency to tell them, "Back off...I need some time!" If you've decided it's not a good fit, for the love of Pete, just tell them. Don't leave them hanging, wondering what happened, their kids' college fund in the balance. Even a simple "No!" via the smoke screen of email is better than going dark.
Think of it like this: every unanswered email and every unreturned phone call from someone you've built a rapport with is a sign of disrespect. It screams, "The time and effort you've put into this relationship is worthless to me, you lowly serf!" Not only is this poor business etiquette, but it also marks you as a true jackhole. Plus, by wasting people's time and resources, you're contributing to economic inefficiency which leads to the dreaded 'I' word...inflation! That's right, jackhole! You're now single-handedly taking down America! How's Louis, Gekko's favorite chef, going to feel now when it costs him twice as much to prepare your steak tartare?!
So, if you've got some poor schmuck who's been hammering your phone, hoping to reel in the big fish, remember this: they're a human being, just like you. They've got a mortgage to pay, kids' tuition to cover, and insurance premiums for that ridiculous Mercedes Hybrid. Have the common decency to turn them loose so they can focus their time and emails on someone who might actually bite. As Nancy Reagan so eloquently put it, just say: "NO!" Put another way, don't be a jackhole!
#Sales #SalesHumor #SalesMotivation #SalesSuccess #SalesTips #SalesLife #SalesLeadership #SalesAdvice #SalesSkills #HR #Recruiters #TalentAcquisition #DriverRecruitment
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5moThis well-written article spoke to me on so many levels! 🙀 It is traumatizing to be ignored. Period. Even more so after you have met or had a conversation with the person. As you stated, it is just plain disrespectful I take such rejection personally. However, I use the experience to motivate me. I will show them! I mentally add them to my database. They will get an email when I blow-up or glow-up! 😉 Am I wrong?🤷♀️ Plus, I try to exercise the Golden Rule, too. It just takes seconds to say no thank you. 🙃 I'm a work in progress... Thank you for the great insight! 👍
Principal at Apex Business Advisors/ Selling Businesses/ Exit Planning/ Mountain Biker/ Painter/ Gardener/ Traveler
6moNicely put, Trae!
Business Growth & AI Strategy | Sales Process Optimization | Advertising & Marketing Leadership
6moThanks for liking the piece Damon Pistulka √! What was it that resonated with you personally?
My clients generate all their business leads on LinkedIn - You can too! | *Trainings *Customized Strategies *Cold Messaging Campaigns *Full Linkedln Content and Management Packages | Founder at Summit Social
6moI wrote about this a while ago. I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to say no!
Business Growth & AI Strategy | Sales Process Optimization | Advertising & Marketing Leadership
6moThank you for the thumbs up, Joel Jackson. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the article and how it resonated with you.