In fact, in many cases, prospects become so good at predicting sales behaviors that they become experts at manipulating the sales process to get exactly what they want - often at the expense of the sales person.

Why clients lie to sales people

Of course, when it comes to sales, truth telling (or the lack thereof!) works both ways.

One of the most common reasons prospects have for l

Those of us who work in sales and know ourselves to be fine, upstanding people may wonder exactly what we ever did to earn such an enviable reputation. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is, people who sell for a living do so in an environment that is polluted by a few unscrupulous - but highly visible - individuals, who are more interested in making a short-term buck than they are in creating long-term profitable relationships with their clients.

Even the most well-meaning sales people lie on occasion, and when they're caught (as they almost invariably are), this only serves to further poison their relationships with their customers - and the selling environment for all of us.

Why sales people lie to their clients

There are three key reasons why salespeople lie to their clients:

1. They don't know their product.

Some sales people lie by accident because they're unsure or uninformed about the products they're selling. In many cases, they lie simply because they're too embarrassed to say, "I don't know."

2.They're too empathetic.

Some sales people lie because they're insecure about themselves, or their relationship with their prospect. They just want the customer to like them, so they stretch the truth to tell the customer what they think they want to hear. Lying then becomes an inappropriate vehicle to build a friend first, and a customer second.

3.They're only focused on the money.

Some sales people see lying as an easy way to make a quick buck. Sales people who lie for this reason do it because they want the prospect to move too quickly, so that they can make a quick sale, pocket the commission - and move on to the next prospect before the first customer can have any second thoughts.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of prospects out there weren't born yesterday or on a turnip truck. 99 times out of 100, they've encountered these lies before, and as a result, they've become conditioned to expect a certain experience from the sales process. They assume they know how a sales person will act, and they base their responses on that assumption.

In fact, in many cases, prospects become so good at predicting sales behaviors that they become experts at manipulating the sales process to get exactly what they want - often at the expense of the sales person.

Why clients lie to sales people

Of course, when it comes to sales, truth telling (or the lack thereof!) works both ways.

One of the most common reasons prospects have for ly

Even the most well-meaning sales people lie on occasion, and when they're caught (as they almost invariably are), this only serves to further poison their relationships with their customers - and the selling environment for all of us.

Why sales people lie to their clients

There are three key reasons why salespeople lie to their clients:

1. They don't know their product.

Some sales people lie by accident because they're unsure or uninformed about the products they're selling. In many cases, they lie simply because they're too embarrassed to say, "I don't know."

2.They're too empathetic.

Some sales people lie because they're insecure about themselves, or their relationship with their prospect. They just want the customer to like them, so they stretch the truth to tell the customer what they think they want to hear. Lying then becomes an inappropriate vehicle to build a friend first, and a customer second.

3.They're only focused on the money.

Some sales people see lying as an easy way to make a quick buck. Sales people who lie for this reason do it because they want the prospect to move too quickly, so that they can make a quick sale, pocket the commission - and move on to the next prospect before the first customer can have any second thoughts.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of prospects out there weren't born yesterday or on a turnip truck. 99 times out of 100, they've encountered these lies before, and as a result, they've become conditioned to expect a certain experience from the sales process. They assume they know how a sales person will act, and they base their responses on that assumption.

In fact, in many cases, prospects become so good at predicting sales behaviors that they become experts at manipulating the sales process to get exactly what they want - often at the expense of the sales person.

Why clients lie to sales people

Of course, when it comes to sales, truth telling (or the lack thereof!) works both ways.

One of the most common reasons prospects have for l

2.They're too empathetic.

Some sales people lie because they're insecure about themselves, or their relationship with their prospect. They just want the customer to like them, so they stretch the truth to tell the customer what they think they want to hear. Lying then becomes an inappropriate vehicle to build a friend first, and a customer second.

3.They're only focused on the money.

Some sales people see lying as an easy way to make a quick buck. Sales people who lie for this reason do it because they want the prospect to move too quickly, so that they can make a quick sale, pocket the commission - and move on to the next prospect before the first customer can have any second thoughts.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of prospects out there weren't born yesterday or on a turnip truck. 99 times out of 100, they've encountered these lies before, and as a result, they've become conditioned to expect a certain experience from the sales process. They assume they know how a sales person will act, and they base their responses on that assumption.

In fact, in many cases, prospects become so good at predicting sales behaviors that they become experts at manipulating the sales process to get exactly what they want - often at the expense of the sales person.

Why clients lie to sales people

Of course, when it comes to sales, truth telling (or the lack thereof!) works both ways.

One of the most common reasons prospects have for l

Some sales people see lying as an easy way to make a quick buck. Sales people who lie for this reason do it because they want the prospect to move too quickly, so that they can make a quick sale, pocket the commission - and move on to the next prospect before the first customer can have any second thoughts.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of prospects out there weren't born yesterday or on a turnip truck. 99 times out of 100, they've encountered these lies before, and as a result, they've become conditioned to expect a certain experience from the sales process. They assume they know how a sales person will act, and they base their responses on that assumption.

In fact, in many cases, prospects become so good at predicting sales behaviors that they become experts at manipulating the sales process to get exactly what they want - often at the expense of the sales person.

Why clients lie to sales people

Of course, when it comes to sales, truth telling (or the lack thereof!) works both ways.

One of the most common reasons prospects have for l

In fact, in many cases, prospects become so good at predicting sales behaviors that they become experts at manipulating the sales process to get exactly what they want - often at the expense of the sales person.

Why clients lie to sales people

Of course, when it comes to sales, truth telling (or the lack thereof!) works both ways.

One of the most common reasons prospects have for lying to sales people is that they have been lied to by a sales person in the past, and are only trying to "give back" a little of what they have "gotten."

They'll lie to avoid an annoying sales pitch. They'll lie to protect themselves against overly persistent phone calls and email follow-ups, or to avoid being pressured into making a decision. They'll lie to protect their reputations, their budgets, their time and their jobs.

Most of all, they'll lie because they automatically assume all sales people are liars, and they want to make a pre-emptive strike before they are lied to first.

Think about how sales people are commonly portrayed in popular culture. Movies like Tin Men, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Tommy Boy and Glengarry Glen Ross don't exactly paint a sterling portrait of our profession. The result is that we who do want to excel legitimately in our chosen profession have a pretty swift current to row against.

But while it may be difficult, it's not an impossible challenge. Gaining the trust of your customers and prospects just takes a little extra effort and forethought - as well as complete dedication to honesty in how you conduct your business.

If my business is still growing, why should I care?

In my research over the past 15 years, I've found that only 10% of sales people in any organization are what we might call "top performers" - those who regularly close at least half of their qualified prospects. At the other end of the spectrum are another 20% comprised of under performers, as well as those who are new or on their way out.

The remaining 70% of sales people fall into a broad category that is best described as the "average majority." To be fair, being an average performer isn't a terrible thing - these sales reps will close about one out of every three qualified prospects, and make a decent living in the process.

But few sales professionals would ever choose to be average, especially when the tools to become a top performer are so easily within their grasp.

Just consider the missed opportunities! While they regularly hit their average targets, these sales people are missing out on over two-thirds of the sales they c