Could you tell bare faced lies to sell?

[loveallthingsitalian]

Call it porkie pies or economical with the truth - but could you spend your working day speaking a load of untruths?

I could never work in sales as I could not persuade people to spend their hard earned money based on a sales patter which is totally untruthful .

How can they rave about "fashion" which they are "going to order ""when you know they would not be seen dead in any of it. Christmas tat they supposedly have all over their homes etc etc. but worst of all making out that it is so cheap they are nearly giving it away when we all know it is much more expensive than elsewhere and an old model into the bargin.

I know people need to work but a bit of self respect please. If you can't honestly say that it is good then just give the colour, size and price and stop all the insincere gushing, you are fooling no one.

 

[srhgts]

I definitely couldn't do it. I can't lie convincingly at all, which is fine as I've no desire to. I couldn't try some beauty product, find it rubbish, then falsely gush about it. I'd snap and tell the truth, go into a tirade about its uselessness and probably instantly be sacked.

 

[Chrissi]

I used to work for a party plan company and was a very successful salesperson because I was truthful with my customers and they appreciated it, I got a heck of a lot of repeat customers, repeat bookings and lots of my customers tried to convince me to stay when I said I was leaving as they didn't want anyone else doing their parties. I always think honesty is the best policy, so if a product was genuinely rubbish I didn't have it in my kit and if someone asked me about it I would ask them what they were looking for and recommend alternatives. Also if a product was a 'Marmite' either love it or hate it, nothing in between I would say it, my customers could always tell if I didn't like something though, apparently my face have it away, so I certainly couldn't go on National TV trying to flog stuff.

 

[donna255]

I am a crap liar. I am like a deer caught in the headlights and would be thinking,"They know I am lying!"

But many on the shopping channels have had acting experience so no doubt think of it as playing a part.

That is not really some cheap crap from a designer who can only sell on shopping channels, its Channel or Dior sweetie.

 

[Akimbo]

I can sell (I think) because I'm a glass half full person. Selling isn't necessarily lying but it's about tailoring your patter to suit the buyer. If you have a product that you personally wouldn't choose it's okay to say so, but then you can always steer the buyer towards something else or find some slant on the product that is "right" for the buyer. It's about accentuating the positive.

Chrissi is absolutely right that shoppers appreciate you saying "I'm not sure this is what you should buy, but this would better meet your needs". Face to face, customers appreciate if you have listened to what they say even if you're just repeating it back to them. If you remember them from their last visit, even better. People have commented on here about Alison Young that, back at her peak, she would advise T callers if a product wasn't suitable. We're also highly suspicious of presenters who claim to buy an use everything!

On TV I think it's easier to string together the usual soundbites: "Can't live without", "don't use anything else" without believing it but I'm not sure I could carry it off talking in person to a customer; there's no risk of being asked specific questions or being put on the spot on a shopping channel. Even the interaction via Twitter can be read out selectively.

 

[louise66]

I don't have a problem at all with the presenters telling lies to sell a product, regarding whether or not they would buy/use/wear it; this is a subjective opinion and, ultimately, it is the choice of the buyer to buy or not. Personally, a presenter has/will never assist in a decision for my to purchase an item or not, so their view on said item is irrelevant to me. They are, essentially, salespeople just like those in the high street and, as such, maximising sales is the objective. If we go into a shop to buy a new tv, for example, the emphasis is on what a great model it is, how good it looks, etc. The final decision is that of the buyer, and shopping with the Q is no different. I would have a problem if I was given false information; telling us a yankee tsv comprises fragrances available only in the US was wrong, and unacceptable. If it was claimed a company had never performed animal testing and I, subsequently, discovered this was not the case, is another example, not that it has happened. Technical details is another bugbear of mine. Lee said that, using the surfeasy allows you to play video normally exclusive to the US; I found this not to be the case. Basically, any factual information must be accurate; an opinion - whether it is their view or not - is subjective and will not necessarily be shared by every other shopper looking at the product. Caveat emptor!

 

[thatu]

I worked in sales for a while and was quite good at it. People usually know what they want so it's a matter of reinforcing them that this is what they want. It's not lying, just persuading and looking for the good points in everything. If something looks diabolical, just steer them away onto something else but at the end of the day, it's their money and their choice so I used to go along with that. A smile goes a long way, as does a cheery greeting, particularly with a name if you know it.

But standing in front of a camera and saying that Beauty Products 1 to 10 are the best thing since sliced bread, then saying that I've used or use them all if I hadn't, no, I couldn't do that. And if I hated a range, I'd never say so, obviously, but I'd acknowledge that it is something that some people like and that suits them and build on the strengths of that range. In some cases, there aren't many to go on so I might be a bit stumped.

 

[Nicky-j]

I'm always surprised how many people tune into a shopping television channel and are then surprised when someone working there tries hard to sell them something …:mysmilie_50:

 

[Bea Frugal]

It's a hard bitten old world we live in and you just need to keep your wits about you. We have the choice about whether or not to watch shopping programmes and whether or not to buy. Surely it's obvious that lilies will be gilded and sow's ears will transform into silk purses. Pointing that out on a regular basis in case anyone is having a weak moment is one of the valuable functions of this forum. Now, what I REALLY don't like is the constant intrusion of the cold caller. Imagine if the day comes when QVC ring us up to tell us that we have been specially selected to be given first option on a new Northern Nights feather bed! I shudder to think.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I'm always surprised how many people tune into a shopping television channel and are then surprised when someone working there tries hard to sell them something …:mysmilie_50:

I am a realist and know perfectly well they are sales people but I was totally fed up with Jackie yesterday gushing when it was dead obvious she would not be seen dead in the clothes, and that was after I had listened to chuntley spouting a load of crap. Bad mood, pissed off but certainly not surprised.

 

[Vienna]

I daresay the presenters don`t see it as lying, to them it`s just sales patter and they see no wrong in it. It`s up to the customers to be cynical or gullible and I reckon Q have plenty of both. It never ceases to amaze me how some people hang onto certain presenters every word, believe everything they`re told, repeat them like a mantra, defend them to the death and swear blind that Q is the be all and end all of shopping.
I reckon there will always be them that do, and them that don`t, when it boils down to deciding whether the presenters lie or not. I say they do !
In my younger years I worked in sales but it wasn`t as high pressure as it is now. People bought less, spent less and I sold fashion so a new dress or a new coat was a rarity to many people. This was pre Hgh street cheap stores like Primark, pre online shopping and pre TV shopping days. The service was personal, you didn`t feel the need to lie, you got to know your regulars and even though you worked on a basic wage plus commission basis, you wanted your customers to look nice and feel nice so you always did your best for them even if it meant them leaving without buying. It`s a service you rarely find these days more`s the pity.

 

[Dips]

A good sales person will point out the positive features and benefits of a product, and guide a customer through the product range by highlighting the relevant features to them. It's not lying to recommend a product that's suitable for someone else's needs, taste or budget that may not meet your own needs, taste or budget. The principal is the same when working in buying, the very last thing a buyer should do is buy for themselves, they need to thoroughly understand their customer needs and buy for those.

I don't think it is accurate to portray all sales people as liars, I do think it's accurate that a number of QVC presenters fall into the lazy trap of pretending that they use everything they sell. Interestingly, many of the longest serving presenters (who by their longevity, one would assume, are successful at sales) do not fall into this trap, rather they try to point out why you would want this product, to help you identify if it is suitable (I'm thinking particularly of Julia Roberts in this respect).

 

[China Girl]

Julia is a lot more honest in her presenting style than a lot of the others. Of course she is there to sell, they all are, but she doesn't claim to use everything and love everything.
Those that gush put me off whatever it is they are selling, and if something is celebrity endorsed, I don't want it.

 

[srhgts]

I agree, Julia just gets on with telling you what's what instead of waffling about how great everything is. Her voice annoys me though, unhelpfully.

 

[Bid Up Side Down]

2 of the golden rules of selling on Q include;

1 You need a good memory when you lie
2 You always travel further on bull$hit than you do on gravel.

 

[Julius]

When I left college I worked at Holland & Barrett for 18 months. The pay was terrible and the company was awful to their staff but I absolutely LOVED the job. I worked in a very special shop which had lots of regular customers, all of whom were very interesting characters. I will never forget Mrs Nuttall, a funny little Hungarian lady who wore a bright red coat and seemed to be allergic to everything! One day she came rushing in asking for us to call an ambulance because a demonstrator in Boots sprayed her with perfume! Another time she returned a bottle of Evian mineral water because she was allergic to it! I learned lots about alternative remedies, health, die and nutrition and did very well as a result of my natural enthusiasm. They then asked me to teach other people how to do it. I told them I couldn't because they either were enthusiastic or they weren't!

 

[techwatcher]

Nope, I wouldn't and couldn't tell bare faced lies to sell something. What I can and will do is present something in a positive light, while perhaps de-emphasising some of a product's or service's less favourable features; a cynic may accuse me of 'lying by omission'; so be it.

Presenting on shopping channels is a form of selling which is a bit like presenting a radio talk show, where silence (on radio they call it 'dead air') must be avoided at all costs. Just presenting features, benefits, price and item number probably isn't enough and so presenters will tend to 'pad' to fill the time.

 

[jaydeen]

I am a realist and know perfectly well they are sales people but I was totally fed up with Jackie yesterday gushing when it was dead obvious she would not be seen dead in the clothes, and that was after I had listened to chuntley spouting a load of crap. Bad mood, pissed off but certainly not surprised.

When doesn't Chuntley speak crap?

 

[jaydeen]

Julia is a lot more honest in her presenting style than a lot of the others. Of course she is there to sell, they all are, but she doesn't claim to use everything and love everything.

Except when she is on with Fiona from Decleor, then she does gush about every single product on that show and I have seen her sucking up to Lulu too.