Why You Should Avoid Manipulative Sales Tactics

More sales advice that makes me cringe. A prospect says: “I need time to think about it.” How do you respond? Alex recommends saying this: “It doesn’t take time to make a decision. It takes information. And I’m the only source of information you have to make the decision (Pssst, no, you’re not. There’s this thing called the Internet). So what are your main concerns?” Alex continues: “This is my favorite way to overcome sales objections because it forces people to make a decision today.” My take? Traditional selling is rooted in exercising control over people. The seller comes from the position that they’re the keeper of information. The seller knows what’s best. It’s about persuading a buyer to decide what the seller has already decided. Sellers use techniques to force decisions today so prospects stay on the straight line and buy. The problem? Prospects don’t want to feel forced into making a decision today. Neither do you. Nobody does. I’ll prove it to you. When was the last time you changed your mind because someone told you to? People buy their timeline not yours. When people feel you’re taking their freedom to decide away, they resist. People want agency over their decisions. Trying to control and force people is manipulative and unethical. It’s why salespeople have a bad reputation. The intent is to close a sale at all costs. To “keep” or only disclose information that’s in the seller’s best interest. What’s the way out? Surrender control. Be the arbiter of information so that prospects can make the best decision for themselves even if that means *gasp* buying from a competitor or doing nothing. Instead of forcing, try understanding. Like this: “It sounds like you have some concerns.” “It seems like the value isn’t there for you.” Chris Voss calls this labeling. You’re calling out the prospect’s emotion so you can discuss it. The takeaway? Understanding is the most important gift a seller can give a potential buyer (or anyone). The golden rule? Sell how you want to be sold to. Less forcing. More understanding.

Founders - the desperate sales tactics you want your team to use today will only harm you in the long run. It's the last day of the month, and for many the last day of the quarter. It's tempting to resort to last-minute heroics to meet sales targets. I'm telling you, they are more harmful than beneficial. Hear me out: - Large discounts might boost numbers today, but this strategy attract customers who prioritize price over value. This leads to higher churn rates as these customers are quick to leave for cheaper alternatives. - Habitual EOQ discounts undermine your product's perceived value, making it difficult to sell at full price later. We all know the companies that have aggressive EOQ pricing - always. - High-pressure sales tactics may coerce undecided customers into buying, but this often leads to buyer’s remorse and makes things hell for your CS team. There's another way: - Maintain regular contact with prospects throughout the quarter. Add value at every interaction, avoid "checking in," and deeply understand their business and pain. This builds trust and naturally progresses your deal without end-of-period pressure. - Use Joint Engagement Plans. When you start with the end in mind and know the target dates you need to hit and WHY you need to hit them, the arbitrary date of EOM/EOQ goes away. - Focus on how your product meets customer needs. Are you selling a vitamin or a painkiller? Sales should be the natural outcome of a well-articulated value proposition, not a result of price slashing. - Set achievable goals based on genuine market and sales insights, not just the desire to see big numbers. You aren't going to change overnight. But, as this quarter ends, take a long hard look at your sales strategies. Prioritize PREDICTABLE - RESPONSIBLE - GROWTH.

Are you buying a private jet? Me either. But - I just watched a 7 min and 49 second video of a Sales meeting for one. Why? Because the Sales rep was extraordinary. The prospect doesn’t buy at the end. But, watch how the rep handles the convo. He’s not pressuring him to close on the spot. He’s not using manipulative tactics to create FOMO. He’s not offering a “one-time discount”. It’s a $30M buying decision. Even rich dudes aren’t easily pressured into making a decision of that size. Instead, the rep knows that his job is to help the buyer make an informed decision. Watch how he: 1) teaches the buyer the underappreciated questions and criteria he should be considering 2) gives the buyer an objective way to assess if now is the right time to make a purchase 3) prescribes an alternative temporary solution 4) exits the conversation with a clear sense of what would need to happen for that prospect to move into “ready to buy” Lesson for us to learn here: Not everyone is ready to buy. We can either try to convince them (destroy trust) or We can create an experience that helps the learner learn, with greater decision confidence, to increase the odds they come back when they ARE ready to buy (build trust). I’ll link the video in the comments.

Salespeople, we need to talk. I just had an encounter that perfectly illustrates what NOT to do in sales. After politely declining a pitch and explaining that looking into their offering wasn't a priority for me, I got hit with this gem: "𝘚𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸?" Ouch. Talk about leaving a bad taste in my mouth. 😬 Here's the deal: This approach isn't just ineffective—it's counterproductive. Let's break down why this doesn't work and what to do instead: Why the "gotcha" question fails: • It's transparently manipulative • It burns bridges • It shows a lack of respect for the prospect's time and decision A better approach: 1. Accept the "no" gracefully 2. Offer value without strings attached (e.g., a relevant guide or blog post) 3. Keep the door open for future interactions Remember, every interaction is a chance to build a relationship, not just close a deal. P.S. Full disclosure: I'm including myself in this critique. As a small business owner, I'm a salesperson too. We're all learning and growing together. What's your take? Have you encountered similar tactics? How do you handle follow-ups when a prospect isn't interested? #b2bsales

Trust builds over months, pays dividends for years, but can evaporate in microseconds. Meet the Trust Assassins: 9 behaviors that secretly sabotage your selling relationships. After coaching hundreds of sales teams, and thousands of sellers, I've cataloged the most insidious trust-killing behaviors: 1. Premature pitching. Nothing screams "I don't care about your situation" like solving a problem you don't fully understand. Prescribe before you diagnose at your peril. 2. Passive listening. Prospects can feel when you're waiting for your turn to speak rather than genuinely processing their words. Your body language betrays you. Slow it down. 3. Embellishing capabilities. Overselling creates expectation gaps impossible to fill. The momentary win becomes a long-term credibility crater. The sugar rush before the coma. Feels great in the Ego... not so good for the bank account. Remember they are buying their pain... that's where we focus. 4. Mirroring buying signals. It's old school. It's a 'move'. They have seen this show before. Nodding while they express concerns doesn't build rapport - it signals you've stopped thinking about their needs. 5. Defensive responses to objections. When you treat objections as attacks rather than explorations, you've transformed from advisor to adversary. It's their objection to handle ... coach them through it. If you are in an arm wrestling match you've lost already. 6. Manufactured urgency. Creating false deadlines insults their intelligence and positions you as manipulative. True urgency emerges from their situation, not your quota. 7. Overcorrecting. Constantly shifting your approach based on micro-reactions creates an authenticity deficit your prospect can sense but not name. 8. Feature flooding. Drowning prospects in capabilities signals insecurity about your core value proposition. The art is in slightly underpitching where most go miles too far. 9. False familiarity. Using first names too frequently or assuming personal connections prematurely creates psychological distance disguised as closeness. These all reek of commission breath. Your need for the sale becoming conspicuously more important than their need for a solution. A transactional conversation when a transformational one is called for. "Selling is a transfer of trust, not a transfer of information." - Juliana Crispo Each of these behaviors erodes character. Incentive winning over integrity. Incrementally damaging trust in ways commission checks fear. What behaviors would you add to the list?

👎 New Sales Tactic I’m Not a Fan Of 👎 This has now happened to me twice: Someone I don’t know sends me a calendar invite — no email, no message, no context. Just an unsolicited meeting on my calendar. When I ask what it’s about, they say we spoke last week and that I told them to follow up this month. But here’s the thing: We never spoke. Ever. I didn’t know who they were. This feels like a manipulative play — trying to manufacture false familiarity to sneak a meeting through. It doesn’t create trust. It creates suspicion. And I get it — sales is hard. We’re all under pressure to book meetings and hit numbers. But this kind of tactic may win a calendar slot once, but it burns your reputation for good. 🤝 If you're in sales, here's what to do instead: 🔑 Start with value: Lead with a clear, relevant reason for reaching out. What problem are you solving? 🔎 Personalize with intent: Acknowledge the buyer’s role, company, or challenge. Show them you did your homework. ⌚️Ask for time — don’t assume it: A meeting is a request, not an entitlement. Treat it with respect. 🧗🏻♂️Play the long game: You don’t build relationships by tricking people. You build them by being credible, clear, and helpful. Sales is about connection — not deception. Has anyone else been seeing more of this lately? #SalesEthics #B2BSales #SalesLeadership #RespectfulSelling #TrustInSales #SalesCommunity #BuyerExperience

Do Jedi mind tricks work in sales?🤔 Simple answer: YES.✅ But here’s the real question—should you use them? Early in my career, I bought into the idea of using suggestive language to steer prospects where I wanted them to go. You know, “plant the seed,” control the conversation, close the deal. Sound familiar? Guys like Andy Elliott made a brand out of that style—teaching folks to manipulate their way to the sale, flex their ego, and sell hard. But here’s what I learned—thank God, sooner than later: When the spell wears off, your prospect feels played. They didn’t buy because it solved their problem. They bought because you twisted their arm. That’s not leadership. That’s manipulation. It’s no surprise that the loudest voices in this space aren’t building companies—they’re just selling the dream to desperate reps chasing quick wins. But real sales pros? Real business builders? They serve. They listen. They solve. Because when your customer wins—really wins—you don’t just get a deal. You earn trust. Loyalty. Referrals. You build a career, not just a commission check. The customer is the star. Not you. Not your pitch. And definitely not your biceps. Want long-term success? Make service your strategy. Manipulation is short-term. Advocacy is legacy. #ronnellrichards #salestips

I have never liked poker…to me, it has always been a pure bluff game built on manipulation. That is not who I am, and it is not how I view sales. Now, some people confuse persuasion with manipulation, but there is a clear difference. Manipulation is about control which is getting someone to do what you want, even if it is not in their best interest. That is not sales, that is selfish. Sales, at its core, is about adding value. It is about meeting people where they are and helping them make the best decision for their situation. It is about clarity, honesty, and serving their needs before your own. In the mortgage industry, if you are manipulating, you may win once, but you will never build trust, loyalty, or lasting relationships. If you are adding value, you build something much more powerful: a foundation of trust that brings clients back, creates referrals, and sets you apart from the noise. True sales professionals are not gamblers playing for a quick win, they are builders investing in long-term relationships. The question you should ask yourself every day is simple: Am I trying to manipulate, or am I truly adding value? The answer will define your reputation, your success, and your legacy. #value #sales #success