Don’t Lose the Sale Trying to Make Commission

So, I went into a health store to buy one bottle of vitamins. I left exhausted from the sales reps’ attempts to sell me everything from powders to teas. It was obvious he earned a commission from whatever he sold.

At first, I listened to him because he was trying so hard, but then it became draining because I saw he had no concern for me saying “No” to each item and reminding him that I didn’t need or want to pay for a dozen bottles of potions.

After he walked me from one end of the store to the next extolling the health benefits for every item he picked up, I told him I was only buying the bottle that I came for and had to leave.

All sales reps aren’t so off-putting. Working for commission can be a winning situation.

Earning commission gives employees the incentive to sell because they’ll make more money, the company they’re selling for makes money and the customer gets better service so they’ll buy more. But a dishonest rep trying to make a larger commission can turn away customers when the rep is caught lying and a pushy rep can lose a sale when the customer feels pressured. Integrity and courtesy are important. It’s better to tell the truth and get the sale than to lie or push and lose the sale, the commission and maybe the customer.

Here are some tips to help sales reps make more sales and commission

1. Don’t tell a customer they’ll get more than they will for their money.

2. Don’t sell more items than needed or higher priced items when less expensive ones are available and are what the customer requested.

3. Don’t speak really fast. Even if you’re telling the truth, you sound like you’re trying to talk a customer into buying something they don’t need.

4. Don’t keep trying to sell another product or service each time one is rejected.

5. Know your company’s products and services. It’s not a good idea to say, “I don’t know,” without checking for the answer or to say, “Yes” when the answer is “No,” while still expecting to make a commission.

6. Get sufficient training before starting a sales job to avoid giving out misinformation.

Management should:

7. Wait at least two months to give a commission for a sale with recurring monthly charges. This gives time to confirm that the customer really requested what they were billed. The first bill may have prorated charges. The second bill is the first actual bill with regular monthly charges.

8. Regularly test reps’ product knowledge after hiring them.

9. Pay reps extra for good reviews from customers who didn’t feel pressured to buy.

10. Have serious repercussions for reps caught lying or padding sales to make a bigger commission.

Did you feel pressured by a sales rep trying to get a commission? Let us hear from you.