Dirtbag selling

By: Reyshimar Arguelles

Let us talk about the art of selling.

A salesman’s job is simple: He presents you a product with the intent of convincing you to purchase it. Whether it is a chocolate bar or a nuclear missile, the product has to be purchased no matter what.

One obvious technique to this is to focus on what the potential customer needs and model the pitch from there.

If the customer does not have such need, the sales narrative could make it appear that there is. You might not need the product today, but a skilled salesman could could give you 30 million reasons to buy it anyway.

At the end of the day, the salesman’s goal is simply to drag you out in the open with promises of lasting benefits you could not possibly experience elsewhere. The sale itself, therefore, is what truly matters. Any feeling of concern is only constituent to the ultimate goal of closing a sale.

There is no real connection here other than the fact that an exchange had taken place regardless if the customer is happy with the result or not. To the salesman, at least, this is just another accomplishment to his quota.

At other times, the relationship resumes outside the sale, as in the case of contracted services. In such transactions, the customer could demand for accountability and compensation when such services fail to satisfy the standards and expectations outlined in the agreement with the sales representative. No well-meaning business would want a customer to cancel a current contract and sign a new one with a competitor.

It is only when a customer complains about the service when the business providing such a service starts to show concern and empathy, by saying things such as “The customer is always right” and “We go over and beyond to care for our clients.” Bad reviews could only hurt the business’ reputation on top of causing a loss of revenue and a loss of the right to operate.

In this scenario, the business will have to do as much as it can to care for the client, even going so far as to provide credits or free features that were not included in the contract in the first place. Eventually, the business could either settle with a compromise or let the client go outright.

So, what do these tell us about the current state of governance in this country? Everything.

Politicians are very much like those sales representatives who go door to door and dial numbers from a pre-generated list to engage those who might want to consider purchasing a product or, in this case, voting for a platform that matters personally to them.

When you vote for someone, you are entrusting that person to deliver those promises that convinced you to make such a choice. And when you do not like what the person is doing, you demand an explanation, saying that you did not expect low quality work. You know you deserve better, so why settle for something like a Drug War that does not live up to your expectations?

Apparently, it is wrong to relate the art of selling to an election campaign where a plurality determines the kind of product on behalf of the entire nation. And unlike hiring a contractor, voting someone into power does not guarantee compensation of any form.

It is from this that we could draw similarities between politicians and salesmen. Both can be equally awful and sleazy in their own right, and both are only focused on getting the trust of their audience by way of maintaining a desired image, whether it be that of a compassionate servant-leader or that of a strongman who inspires fear and obedience.

Still, assuming such an image does not discard the fact that you are responsible for selling a defective product to a hopeful customer.

In that case, you’re a whole other level of dirtbag. It gets even worse when you can’t process a negative review based on the promises you can’t even keep.