I Hate Being Sold To

“I hate being sold to” 

How often do you hear that statement? For a while, I was in that camp until I realised it was me that was the problem. The reality is that it’s not the ‘being sold to’ that’s the problem, it’s the ‘I might have to change’ that’s the real issue. Change can be difficult, risky and can send us into the unknown. That’s why it’s avoided by so many people.

Yes, I understand that there are very poor quality sales approaches and salespeople, however, it doesn’t remove the fact that they might in fact have a wonderful product or service that helps you in some way or another.

Back to the reluctance to change. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, only 46% of Australian businesses were innovation active in the two years ending June 2023. Furthermore, 30% of businesses reported spending nothing on innovation during this period. Innovation is a clear indicator of a willingness to change and do something different. You’ve heard the saying “innovate or die”, well it seems that 54% of Australian businesses are waiting to die.

This suggests that businesses in Australia are stuck in the “thanks mate, we’re all good” cycle as I like to call it. “we’re all good”. Really?

We know that businesses in Australia face some of the biggest technological and economic challenges in a generation. It would seem now is the time to make changes, consider alternatives, differentiate and seek new and more innovative ways of delivering service.

It might seem simplistic to say that listening to a sales pitch is the answer to being innovative, but it’s more about being open to new ideas, new ways of doing things and getting out of the status quo. It’s a mindset.

As long as people don’t like to be sold to, the more likely they will miss out on opportunities to thrive and stay relevant in their market. So how do you change your mindset? Here’s a few ideas to consider the next time someone is ‘selling’ to you and your first instinct is to cringe:

• Listen to them from start to finish. Get the full story and leave it up to their skill to convey the value they are proposing.
• Ask what tangible benefit you will gain from their product or service
• Consider what the alternatives are to the product or service being proposed
• How will this product make your business more efficient, differentiated or effective

This is just the start. So, the next time you are being ‘sold to’, don’t put up the barriers, listen and consider if this is the change you need.

Osman Bahemia

Stoke Consulting

Osman works with businesses to develop and implement strategies for growth and effectiveness. Osman has worked in a variety of industrial sectors including aviation, mining, asset management, transport and marketing. His skills in operational effectiveness, strategy development, leadership development and change management propel significant growth and efficiency improvements in medium to large organisations.