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You go to a sales seminar to learn how to sell; you read Sales Horror Stories to learn how not to sell. Heed the warning and avoid the mistakes our brave contributors made. Read, learn, make your own mistakes, and then deposit them into the Sales Horror Crypt.
Lingerie Sales
Monster.com member kristysg reveals this tale:
I was in the middle of my first meeting with a prospective client. I had listened to his needs, presented my solutions, and was just following up with getting-to-know-you talk. I leaned forward while listening to one of his stories when all of a sudden he turned bright red, and started stammering and moving his head from side to side. I thought he was having a heart attack. I leaned forward even further to ask if he was OK. He could barely get the words out of his mouth: "Uh, Ma'am, uh, your shirt has come open and I can see your beautiful black lacy bra." That was the last time I wore a blouse that crisscrossed in the front to a business meeting. But I did get the deal!
The Accidental Salesperson writes: Thanks for the pointers.
Freeze, You're Arrested!
One Monster.com member remembers an interview that was a bust:
Toward the end of my interview with a Fortune 100 company, the interviewer offered me the job. Before I could say anything, the police and the fire marshal came into the office and arrested the interviewer. On the way out the door, he turned and said, "I hope this doesn't sour you on working for the company.
The Accidental Salesperson sees the bright side: At least there's one less person you have to climb over on your way to the top.
A Christmas Story
Monster.com member Melinda1260 recalls this holiday story:
Sales were great the week before Christmas, and everyone was caught up in wrapping gifts. Glancing up, I spotted a shoplifter at work. She could not see me, and I knew I couldn't prosecute if I lost eye contact with the thief. Everyone at the counter started laughing at the poorly wrapped package. The thief looked my way and started running. I yelled, "Stop, thief!" She turned around and asked if I was talking to her. I described every item she had taken. After retrieving more than $400 worth of merchandise, I went back to the counter where the customer was waiting for his badly wrapped package. He said, "I will take my package just like it is. It will make a good story when we open the presents.
The Accidental Salesperson replies: That's a wrap.
Road Rage
Monster.com HNDY34 learned a costly lesson about keeping tempers to a minimum:
One day I was running late for an appointment, so I decided to hop on the highway to make up some time. As I got on the highway, a man in a car absolutely refused to let me into traffic. I proceeded to move into traffic anyway, which upset this individual even more. He pulled along side me and started to yell at me. I just gave him the bird and went on. It took me about 10 minutes to get to the appointment, and when I sat down, I was across the desk from the man that I just cut off and flipped off. Needless to say, it was a very short meeting.
The Accidental Salesperson replies: This time, the early bird caught nothing but the prospect's wrath.
Prospect or Suspect?
Monster.com member DRYUANkc swears that this happened:
I stopped in a small shop one morning and was greeted by an elderly woman. I said, "I'm here to see the owner or the president. Is he here now?" The grandmotherly looking lady adjusted her glasses and said, "If you're here to sell him something, he's broke. If your here to collect money, he's filed for bankruptcy. So unless you owe him money or are here to tell him he won the lottery, get out!
The Accidental Salesperson says: Not everyone is a prospect.