A Tale of Two Sellers: The Paradox of Sales

Dave sighed as he scrolled through inventory reports on his laptop. As his small promotional products business approached its one year mark, problems with his outdated systems were piling up. With the busy holiday season fast approaching, he needed a solution - and fast.

That's why he had agreed to meet Bruno, representative of PerhapsMarketing, the leading provider in Dave's industry. He knew Bruno would pitch his company's all-in-one software package, hoping for an easy sale. But Dave needed flexibility to adjust as his business evolved.?

"Thanks for meeting on short notice," Dave began as Bruno strode into the cafe, hand outstretched. "My business is growing steadily each quarter. But our mix of custom orders means inventory tracking is a nightmare on these legacy spreadsheets."

Bruno nodded attentively as two acrid canteen americanos arrived. Wincing with his first sip, "Managing stock levels across diverse products does sound tricky without the right tools. Tell me Dave, where exactly are your current systems falling short?"

Taking a thoughtful sip, Dave laid out his two main issues - fluctuating SKUs made updates time-consuming, and lack of automation risks stockouts during high volume seasons. "I'm open to streamlined solutions, but need full control over custom fields as our offerings change."

"Fair points." Bruno nodded. "Ever changing products can gum up the works without the right solution. I think if you take a look at what PerhapsMarketing offers, you'll find it addresses both those pain points handily."??

Dave looked sceptical. "How exactly does your package help with fluctuating SKUs and minimising risk of stock-outs?"

Waving a hand impatiently, Bruno replied "Trust me mate, we’ve streamlined setup so adjusting inventory is simple as can be. And our algorithms auto-reorder based on sophisticated analytics, so stock will never run dry."

"I understand the value of claims, Bruno," replied Dave diplomatically. "But as a business owner, I need assurances your system can truly flex to our evolving operations."

Bruno suppressed a sigh, end of quarter mounting pressure. But he sensed losing patience may lose the deal, so continued in a conciliatory tone. "You're right to do your due diligence, Dave. Perhaps I could walk through a sample customisation on your current product line, show how intuitive adjustments are?"

Dave agreed, passing his laptop to Bruno. Taking care to listen closely, Bruno navigated the sample interface, highlighting ease of data entry and reporting flexibility. Pausing, he turned to Dave. "As you expand, where do you foresee needing different fields than standard options?"

Appreciating the effort to address concerns directly, Dave described a special order form requiring additional customer comments. "Can fields like that be added without developer costs down the road?"?

Bruno frowned thoughtfully. "For simple forms, our technicians handle routine changes at no charge within SLA terms. But truly custom features are priced separately to cover engineering time.

"How much are we talking?" asked Dave.

"About $600-1000/day. Because of demand, engineers are pretty scarce at the moment," Bruno replied frankly.

Dave's eyebrows rose in concern. That level of unpredictable customization costs far exceeded his budget. His perceived risk with the potential for open-ended fees had spiked exponentially.

"I appreciate your transparency, Bruno," Dave responded carefully. "However, flexible adjustment over time within a known spend envelope is crucial for a smaller business like mine. How might this solution meet that requirement long-term?"

Bruno hesitated, his usual responses not assuaging Dave's valid doubts. High fixed costs clashed with promises of scalability. For the first time, he saw the disconnect between his claims and this client's reality.

"You raise a fair point, Dave. Given your need for agility within budget, perhaps a more customised proposal is in order," Bruno paused, mind racing. If he didn't close this deal soon, his numbers would suffer.

Forcing a smile, he said "I may be able to work up some alternatives for a short-term discount. Nothing fancy of course, just basic integrations to get you by in the new year. What do you say we wrap this up with a contract today?"

Dave folded his arms, clearly uncomfortable with the renewed pressure.??

Undeterred, Bruno barrelled on. "C'mon mate, it's a no-brainer. You want growth right? My package does the legwork so you can focus on the fun stuff. Don't you want to be a quarterly winner like all our other champions?"

Seeing Dave's scepticism, Bruno's affable veneer cracked to reveal frustration beneath.??

"Time's wasting, mate, and my quota waits for no man," Bruno thought impatiently. Ratcheting up the pressure, "This is the best price you can get all year, and I'm afraid it's a take it or leave it situation. I'm only allowed to make this offer today”, Bruno concluded.

Dave sighed inwardly. It was clear Bruno valued rushing a sale over resolving concerns. "Alright, why don't you send over the contract and offer details then?" he replied diplomatically. "I'll review them carefully and get back to you later."??

Once alone, Dave shook his head, worried if he took up Bruno's offer, would he regret it later? Bruno left him feeling uncertain that if things didn't work out and he wondered if he'd be left high and dry. Dave hoped his conversation with Katherine from Whisper would offer a better strategic fit and feel more closely aligned with his values. He'd heard great things about her from his friend, Jess.

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Analyse this dialogue between Bruno and Dave.

1. What were the triggers for Dave that caused him to doubt Bruno's intent was to serve him rather than himself?
2. What do you think is going on in Dave's brain when Bruno applies pressure?
3. How do you feel Bruno's handling of Dave's objections is likely to sit with Dave now Bruno has left?
4. What is Dave going to do with Bruno's proposal?
5. What is Bruno going to do?

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In part 2, we'l look at how Bruno's actions and words affected Dave's brain and how it translates into real world buying behaviours. In part 3, we'll explore how Katherine applies ethical, principled selling, and part 4, the impact on Dave's brain. With part 5 bring all these parts together into a questioning framework you will find invaluable.

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Please comment, question, challenge me. I am happy to proven wrong. If you disagree please come back with why.

And if you want to kick start your new role, turnaround your old one, open up new possibilities or break out of a rut, you can grab a time for an initial coaching session to help you answer this question:

What do I want my career to give me in life?

After all, do you live to work or work to live?

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