"Selling" is not "Telling"

Each semester I ask my students if they like salespeople. It is no surprise that over 80% of them reply, "No."

I think one reason for the "No" responses is that many of us don't like being "Told" what to do...including giving up what we value (money, time, etc.). I also think many of us have experienced a salesperson behaving with "self-interest" (the desire to get what he/she wants).

Given the notion that all positive and productive relationship (including that involving a salesperson and a prospective customer) are based on the "Exchange of Value" concept, and that we are born to optimize value received and minimize value given up, it seems to reason that a prospective customer may not believe the value expected equals the value at risk of being given up.

So, a saleperson "telling" the customer how great of product or service he/she represents without knowing and addressing the specific "value" the customer needs/wants is most-likely not going to be liked by the customer.

Perhaps, asking questions to identify the customer's needs is much more important than the reliance on "telling" why he/she should give up value on the whim or hope of receiving equal or greater value in return.