Sales: Experiences

Introduction.

This is a Praxis assignment that I had as part of the Sales module. The goal was to describe two separate sales experiences I’ve had. One “ideal” experience and one “bad” experience. I completed this by answering the provided prompts which are listed below along with my answers.

Best Sales Experience.

What is the best sales experience you’ve ever had?

The best sales experience I can recall is when I bought my first pick-up.

Why? How did it make you feel?

I bought it from a private seller. A guy that my family and I had known for quite awhile and had worked with on the farm.

The thing that I liked most about the experience though was that he sort of stood back and let me take my time looking the truck over.

He didn’t try to steer my attention elsewhere or rush me through it. He answered any questions I had about it as I looked it over and seemed very genuine in his answers.

What was the problem you were hoping to solve?

To purchase an automobile because I was getting my drivers license soon.

What was the product or service you purchased to solve your problem?

A 2001 Ford F-150 4×4 with the 5.4 Triton engine.

Were there other products or services you considered to solve your problem that you ended up not choosing to purchase?

Maybe a few. I had looked at a few other trucks before but hadn’t found any that I was super interested in.

Where did you start your search for solving your problem?

Online. I had been looking at trucks online for maybe a month or two. Just keeping an eye out for good deals or ones I’d be interested in looking at. I physically went to look at a couple but hadn’t really found what I was looking for.

Did you complete the purchase?

Yes.

Did you feel better off, worse off, or neutral after this interaction / after your purchase?

I felt better off. I was super excited to have a pick-up. It was exactly what I was looking for in a “first vehicle” and it ended up being a pretty good financial move as well because I used it a lot and ended up being able to sell it for more than I paid for it.

Is there anything that could have been done differently to make your experience better?

I really don’t think so. I don’t really like to be “sold” on things. I like to be able to simply take my time, looking over the product or the numbers and decide for myself. If I start to sense someone is trying to “sell” me on something, I get suspicious and a bit uncomfortable which generally leads me to not making a purchase.

How did your impression of the sales process impact your opinion about the company, product, or service?

My situation doesn’t apply super well to this question in my opinion since I bought it from someone I already knew.

However, I never felt like he had cheated me afterwards or anything. The truck was always super reliable. I had to replace a few parts over the years but nothing weird or unexpected. I was always super pleased with it and have nothing but good to say about the guy that sold it to me.

Worst Sales Experience.

What is the worst sales experience you’ve ever had?

Probably the most annoying was a relatively recent purchase of some bolts at a local hardware store.

Why? How did it make you feel?

I was there looking for some specific bolts for my truck. I kinda knew what I wanted but wanted to look around a bit. But as soon as I entered, one of their associates asked me if I needed any help, I said no, that I was just looking, then another asked the same question, then another. In total, four people asked if I needed help, with the last of them saying, “You look like you could use some help. What are you looking for?”. It made me feel annoyed, rushed, and a bit insecure because I felt like maybe I was portraying myself in a way that made me seem lost or clueless.

Were you actively shopping for a solution to a problem or were you a victim of sales done poorly?

I was actively shopping for a solution. However, I really like to be able to take my time and look in stores. I felt like I couldn’t do that because I had someone breathing down my neck the whole time.

What was the product or service being sold?

All I really needed was bolts but if they hadn’t been rushing me to get out of there, I probably would’ve bought some other stuff too.

Did you complete the purchase?

Yes. Although I sort of wish I had just left.

Why did the sales process go poorly?

When I would tell them I didn’t need any help, some of them would just go stand around within eyeshot and kind of watch me. It made me feel really uncomfortable, rushed, and a bit like they thought I was an obstinate little kid who would need assistance eventually.

Were there any specific tactics that made this go poorly?

I’d say just their forcefulness and their lack of other things to do. If they would’ve just left me alone and allowed me to seek them out if I required assistance, I wouldn’t have had any problems whatsoever.

Did you feel better off, worse off, or neutral after this interaction / after your purchase?

Worse off. It was just a really uncomfortable and annoying situation. I couldn’t wait to get my bolts and get out of there.

Is there anything that could have been done differently to make your experience better?

If they would’ve just left me alone or at least not stood around near me like they were waiting on me, that would’ve improved the experience.

How did your impression of the sales process impact your opinion about the company, product, or service?

I haven’t been back to that hardware store since.

Conclusion.

In completing this assignment, I realized how little I’ve ever worked with salespeople, and I think that is mainly because I tend to avoid them. They kind of make me nervous and I always feel rushed by them. Maybe by learning more about sales I will feel more comfortable dealing with salespeople in my day-to-day life.

Travis McCoy