📄 Trust, fibs and (no) sales

"Hi, we’re from the electricity company - we’d like to ask a few questions to see if you could maybe save on your monthly bill”.

Two young 'uns - boy and girl, about 22 years old. And I knew they weren’t from ‘the electricity company’ (in Spain, that's Endesa, the national provider), but from one of the many competing open market providers.

“Endesa”, I asked?

“Um… yes”, they stuttered.

I tried to smile, but probably failed. Trying to be nice though:

“Guys, I know you’re not from Endesa. You’re with a competitor, and you want people to switch providers”.

They stared at me, gobsmacked.

“I know what your job is. In fact, I teach people how to sell. And this is not the way it's done.

“Knocking on people’s door is one thing, but telling lies? C’mon, is that the job you want?”

I know, I was being pedantic - high moral ground and so on. But I don’t like being lied to, and if a couple of kids knock on my door and try to BS me?

Then I guess they’ve just sold me the privilege of throwing a little lecture at them.

Now, if you read my articles, I doubt you’re the kind of person who would tell a blatant lie to a buyer. I would say it’s not the kind of thing people like us do.

But what about fibs and little white lies?

It’s easy to say something like “I was just in the neighbourhood so I thought I’d drop in”.

But people know that it’s not true, and that means you instantly reduce the amount of trust they have in you. Even if it’s a seemingly innocent little fib.

And the fact of the matter is: people need to trust you in order to buy from you. No trust, no sale.

It might be scary to be completely honest in all cases, but it increases trust - fast! - and makes selling a lot easier.

Fib, and you’ll be seen as ‘one of those'.

Or be truthful, and you’ll be seen as respectable and reliable - and guess which kind of person a buyer is most likely to buy from?

Exactly.