Your Clients Know That You Are Lying...

"I've got to get some seeds. I've got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground..." - Death Of A Salesman

What would you do if I told you that every client you pitch to, that every sale attempt you make with a radically-conducive script on LinkedIn or via email, already knows you are lying? Well, this is something we all saw coming: the death of sales.

I would like to first mention that this does not always apply.

The consumer mindset has changed drastically, however, and because of this, the idea of sales calls, sales leads, and sales...well, sales anything is dead.

Your Client Can See Through Your Deceit

A recent study by HubSpot found the following (I will narrow down the list):

* It takes an average of 18 calls to connect with an actual buyer

* Only 24 percent of emails that orient in sales backgrounds are opened

* 19 percent of buyers want to connect during the awareness phase

* 77 percent of potential buyers know a sales pitch when they see one

You see, the end of sales is upon us. As ads begin to consume our social media feeds, our email inboxes, and among the daily clutter of life's tasks before us, it is time to switch gears.

Sales calls are rarely responded to; sales emails are rarely opened because most people, after the 1970s flood of salesmen pushily making their way into people's homes became trice; and people know when you are lying about something.

The Car Salesman Effect

When my car finally reached its last breath (I recall hearing the engine literally bust halfway down a busy Miami, Florida street - a sound no one ever wants to hear, let alone in Miami rush hour traffic), it was up to my father to help buy a new car.

As a man of many trades, the primary one I live by right now is my Masters degree, which I have accepted admission to after fifteen years in business. Suffice to say, I have not had much funding available to purchase my own vehicle. So, we went to the car lot.

We were immediately greeted by a quirky individual who performed the standard sales pitch: "Oh, this one's perfect for you." Yeah, like I would fall for that. This is what I call the "Car Salesman Effect," where we migrate online and look for something other than an ad. Most people want education over institution, and this is why car salesmen (and most salesmen or women in general) fail: 77 percent of people know a sales pitch.

People Can Sense A Sale

The history of sales is actually rather interesting. It dates back to primitive roots, where we were merchants selling trinkets and fish at a local market (we have all seen at least one movie or cartoon depicting this debauchery). However, as the 1900s rolled in, and Henry Ford's advent of the assembly line came to fruition, sales became a "thing." Said "thing" is now sensed by people a mile away, with 77 percent knowing the intention of another.

* Some speculations surround this statistic, as other sources say brand loyalty is as low as 10-15 percent in 2021 versus ten years ago.

Psychologically-speaking, this simply indicates that people are beginning to grow wary of the sales pitch, and that scares a lot of marketing professionals. "How will we ever sell our product or service if we cannot get people to answer the phone or visit our email?"

This is not a lesson in how to perform sales more effectively.

In fact, that is a subject many could touch upon, and have already touched upon.

Rather, I would like to touch bases on the fact that people are becoming dumber and smarter at the same time. We have reached a point in our ethereal existence where we can smell a sales pitch, where we can know when we are being sold to, and when this happens, we falter into absurdity. Said absurdity drives people further away from sales, and the more we push products or services without appealing to he 7 touchpoint principle, we will fail.

The Seven-Touch Principle

There is a marketing homage: it takes 7 touchpoints to reach a person.

What this means is that, as stated, touchpoints (i.e. the number of times someone sees your email, your phone number, or your brand) require more than just a cold pitch. If you are like me on LinkedIn, you are connected with a lot of out-of-country individuals.

Nothing wrong with that; they are great people. However, even in American locations, our LinkedIn inboxes are met with an unfavorable sense of ungratefulness.

The idea is simple: if you pitch without opening with an introduction, simply jumping from the problem they "think they have identified" to the solution they "think they have just found..." well, you know the story. It will end badly for the salesman, and this leads us back to an untrusting world where sales calls and pitches are haphazardously out of style.

I Don't Think Anyone Is Listening To You

This means that the psychology of a sales pitch is not in vain. You can easily get away with a sales pitch, if and only if you can do it pragmatically. In the book "The Marketing Rebellion" by Mark Schaefer, the author dives in about this topic in great detail. Sales are not quite dead. Rather, it is the manner in which the sale is inducted that causes problems.

When it comes to marketing, sales, or any variation of the sort, we have to be careful not to assume everybody needs our products or services.

In fact, a simple introduction speaking on behalf of you, not your company, product, or service, is the best way to effectively get into the head of the individual.

People can smell a sales pitch, and people are beginning to take notice to that.

When we look at the data, more and more people are becoming aware of the problems they have, and more often than not, the sale is spammed ethereally, almost as a construct of metrical proportions. We see that sales are not dying. Rather, it is the pitch.

How To Get In Their Heads

There is a simple solution to this headline: build a relationship. It is that simple. When you are beginning to realize that less and less people are paying for your services, remember that sales is not psychology, but relationship-building is. If you can build a relationship with your client or customer, you can win the game two-fold.

Think about this: if a car salesman approaches you on the lot, and begins to push the buttons for an immediate sale, people get defensive. We are naturally hardwired on a neuronal level at this point to sense deceit, which is a human trait we cannot avoid.

People know when they are being lied to.

Rather, if that same salesman were to approach with dignity, with pride, and with conviction of making someone happy rather than making a commission, there would be the ability to set up a "funnel" where that buyer, perhaps not there for an immediate sale , you can begin to show them the cars. Next, you can tell them to come back when they are ready to make a sale. By all means, if they say "Yes, sign me up," do it! Get them on a mailing list, put their name in a spreadsheet or CRM system, and go through the funnel.

But Live By A New Motto

Rather, accept the Seven Touchpoint Principle. Embrace the fact that you may have to leave a business card, and watch that person walk off of the lot without having made.a sale. But you just gained their trust. When relationships are constructed (so much so that you are consistent, non-spammy, and speaking with great conviction), you have already sold your car. However, if you approach with the intent of a sale, it will go unanswered.

Especially when that salesman forgets that, maybe down the line, he will be of use. Educate the consumer and keep in touch! Remember, seven touchpoints...

If you want to sell something, build a relationship. Realize that your nature will allow that person to trust you, and that leaves them with you stuck in their minds. Try this trick (I did not invent this, but it was done to me first-hand): on your business cards (not just exclusive to a car salesman), put your photo somewhere on the card.

People have a fond attachment to human faces; we are, on a neuronal level, an extroverted species, and we want a face we can trust.

This happened at a local online networking meeting I attended. The woman I spoke with wanted to "remember me," so she took a screenshot.

Three Weeks Later...

Yes, three weeks later, she touched bases with me. I remembered her because she remembered me. The fact that it took her three weeks to reach out to me actually boosted my trust in her, and when she said: "when I saw your face on your online profile, I recalled our conversation..." well, boom, the trust was built! It did not like our first impression.

Rather than trying to build a fond relationship with someone, salesmen and women devise a "one or all" mentality, and this is dangerous, albeit, ineffective. It leaves no room for future interaction. I have time and time again been pitched to (around 5-10 times per day, actually) on LinkedIn without so much as a "hello, how are you?"

If You Want To Make A Sale...

...then avoid the script.

It is that simple. On LinkedIn, I receive constant barrages of people adding me and then sending me a message within a day of connecting. The spiel went something like this:

"Hello sir, my name is [blank], we offer web design and graphic design customization solutions that alter the UX/UI perception of the human web interface experience. I would love to jump on a call to show you how we can make your company grow, scale, and increase your profit margins..." yada, yada, yada.

Now, I want to make a point here: that was an actual message I received this morning before getting on top of this article. I altered a few things, but this is what we have come down to: sleazy salesmen and women who wish to make a quick buck, and when you offer, say, an exchange of services, or a referral, they simply say: "No thanks."

Spray & Pray

This is called "spray and pray," and it means quite literally to spray your message, brand or ads around as fast as you can, to anybody within any demographic (no targeting, even if you think they are targeting, as regardless, it remains ineffective), and pray for a sale.

So, what can you do to change your salesmanship? Be a human being! It's just that simple! I will be continuing this discussion with some general advice tomorrow morning, so subscribe to the 90 Day Content Challenge newsletter. This is entry 30, so 60 to go!