7 years ago
September 15, 2017

3 Selling Techniques to Avoid

There are countless selling techniques you can use. The key is to choose the one that will help you be successful. You also need to avoid certain selling techniques that…

Rhys Metler

There are countless selling techniques you can use. The key is to choose the one that will help you be successful. You also need to avoid certain selling techniques that can do you more harm than good.

Here are 3 selling techniques sales recruiters suggest you avoid:

1. Unproven selling techniques

Are you operating on a hunch? Do you rely on a particular selling technique because it has provided some short term success? Relying on unproven sales techniques can catch up to you. There is a reason why so many sales reps follow similar sales strategies – because they work! And they are proven with years of research and testing.

Before you go all in on an unproven technique, do your homework and make sure the risk is worth the reward. Or you could find yourself coming up short on your sales quota.

2. Bait and switch

No customer likes to feel like they are taken advantage of. The bait and switch technique is an easy way to alienate your customer base. Offering a promotional deal is common, but when the promotional items sell out or are no longer available, offering a cheaper alternative or more expensive solution can and will upset your customers.

Rather than trying to sell them, have a conversation with your customer about why they wanted the original item or promo and use that as the basis to learn about their actual need. Focus on addressing this need rather than selling.

3. Selling based on price

Before you start talking price with a customer, it’s important to establish the value of your product or service. Discuss the issues the customer is having and the benefits you can offer. Then you can introduce price into the conversation.

“Introducing cost into the conversation before establishing value can commoditize your product. Rather than thinking, The first option does A, B, and C, while the second does A, B, and C — and D, E, and F as well, your prospect thinks, The first option costs X, while the second costs 2X. This mindset hurts you and the buyer. He’s thinking about sticker price instead of ROI,” says Michael Pici on HubSpot.

More Blog Posts About Selling Techniques

Want to brush up on your sales skills? Read these blog posts from sales recruiters about sales techniques to avoid and strategies you can use as an alternative:

5 Marketing Tactics to Avoid When Selling Yourself

5 Fatal Sales Mistakes You Should Avoid

4 Things to Avoid Saying During a Sales Call

6 Types of Sales Strategies to Avoid


SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit sales people in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right sales person for your organization, start your search here.

Rhys Metler

Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.

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