One of the things that I hate more than anything in sales is when a potential client brings in their friend(s) or a family member with them to buy. This can be a good idea for a few reasons, such as:
(1) Making sure that mean ol' salesperson doesn't take advantage of them
(2) Getting a second (or maybe even a third) opinion on what they're buying
(3) Getting help in the buying process
The part that I (and many others in sales hate) is when that "friend" doesn't have your best interests in mind.
I'll give you a good example of an interaction I had back in my days as a sales rep for T-Mobile. I'm talking with a young lady who brought her friend with her. For a while the conversation turned into one that was between me and the friend instead of the actual customer. I heard everything from:
"I don't like that phone. You should get this one."
"Insurance??? You don't need that girl!"
"You see... that's why I don't even like T-Mobile."
"Don't listen to that. He's just trying to make a sale. "
"If I were you, this is what I would do..."
Anyone else notice the problem?
That "friend" was more worried about her wants and likes than the actual buying customer. What does that in turn do for the customer? She's more likely to get something based on what her friend tells her instead of what actually works for her.
This should be a well-known common sense-type fact, but here's a reminder just in case: what works (or doesn't work) for you may not necessarily work (or not work) for someone else.
P.S. For those who are wondering guys that conversation turned out.... Here goes: after explaining to the "friend" how I was working in the customer's best interest and not mine or the company's (example, yes I made commission but got paid on the service, so it made more sense to get her the phone she wanted and not necessarily the most expensive one; how costly it would be for both her and me if she got a phone/service that didn't fit her needs; how I could be contacted virtually any time during the day with questions/issues/concerns) I was able to sell them BOTH.
