7 years ago
February 21, 2017

When to Use Aggressive Selling Tactics & When to Avoid Them

There’s a time and place for aggressive selling tactics. Keep reading to find out when they should be used and when they should be avoided.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter
Claire McConnachie

Aggressive selling tactics get a bad rap. They’re often blamed for the sleazy, dishonest, pushy sales person stereotype. It’s true that some sales reps have definitely overdone it with aggressive selling tactics in the past, but that doesn’t mean that these types of closing strategies should be shunned forever.

In fact, there is still a place for them in 21st century sales. You just need to know when to use them and when to avoid them. You must realize that they’re not appropriate in all situations, but they can be useful in the right context, with the right buyer. If you’re in a hurry to sell and use these tactics at the wrong time or on the wrong decision-maker, they can definitely ruin the sales opportunity for you.

Here are three aggressive selling tactics that are still effective today, and when to pull them out of the arsenal.

Ramping up the Pressure

Many sales people still successfully use a ticking clock as a closing tactic. Ramping up the pressure on closing a sale within a certain time frame plays on the buyer’s fear of losing out on an opportunity or on money. Telling a prospect that pricing may be higher if they don’t close in the next week, reminding a prospect that their business could be negatively affected if a deal isn’t closed by a specific date, or telling a prospect that they need to buy the product before their competitors do all work to turn up the pressure and get the sale.

This aggressive selling technique should only be used when your client needs a push to make a final decision. It’s most successful with impulse decision-makers who are less likely to buy the more they think about it.

However, avoid ramping up the pressure if you know the buyer is known to take their time and put a lot of thought into their purchasing decisions, since this will only hurt your chances of closing the deal.

Being Persistent

Persistency isn’t always ideal in sales. Some buyers will equate persistency with pushiness, and this can be a big turn off that ruins your opportunity. Sometimes, though, being persistent is all you need to turn that “no” into a “yes.”

To be effectively persistent, keep raising closing questions if you’re getting a “no.” For example, if a buyer says they have to pass, you should ask what you can do to change their mind.

This type of aggressive sales tactic should only be used if you know that the buyer is truly interested, but hesitant to pull the trigger. In this case, a little persistence is all you need to overcome the initial reluctance to closing the deal.

Taking Something Away

Taking something away from the deal is one of the most aggressive selling tactics you could use, but sometimes, it’s necessary. It works on the prospect’s fear of losing more than they’ll gain.

The take-away close can be used by offering to reduce the cost of your service, but only by removing a certain feature that you know the buyer loves. It can be used by offering to delay closing the deal, but explaining that doing so will result in loss of the product’s benefit. It’s also often seen in the form of offering a cheaper alternative, but explaining that it won’t fully meet all of the prospect’s wants and needs.

You can only use this aggressive selling technique well into the sales process, when the buyer has already showed interest and has narrowed down their choices, so you know what they really want. You’ll need to know what they want to be able to use leverage in your selling strategy.

If you’re going to use aggressive selling tactics, make sure to use them at the right time. Otherwise, you may just ruin all the hard work you put into the sale.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter

Claire McConnachie

Claire has 4+ years of experience in sales and recruitment. As a Director of Client Services, her main objective is to connect great people to great companies by building strong relationships with both top clients and candidates in the sales industry. She specializes in sales roles of all seniority levels for both enterprise and start-up clients North American wide. When Claire isn't networking with top talent, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends & family.

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