Sales tips from a FBI hostage negotiator

Published: Wed, 01/17/24

January 17, 2024

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome back. Here are the winners of our end of year 2023 giveaway: Jay Staler, Kristina Stratton, and Tanner Roberson — your Yetis are in the mail! And thank you to everyone who filled out the survey. If you want the chance to earn cool stuff, refer your friends and coworkers to subscribe to this newsletter using your custom link at the end of the email. Now, enjoy this week’s newsletter.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

71% of U.S. sales reps are hybrid, up from 45% in May of 2022. 20% are in person and 10% are fully remote

Source: HubSpot

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

An Oklahoma car dealership owner was not arrested after shooting and killing an angry customer who swung at him with a knife, with Oklahoma City police saying it appeared to be a case of self-defense. The customer allegedly swung at the business owner with a knife. That's when police said the owner acted in self-defense, shooting the customer and killing him. You can read more about what happened here.
According to a recent Reddit thread, wireless retail sales often lends itself to deceitful sales tactics. Reps in the thread admit to having lied to customers to get them to add a new line when it wasn't necessary to take advantage of a special deal on a phone. This practice is called Cramming and is usually done to improve the metrics of a store, allegedly at the behest of a store manager. You can read more about it here.

FEATURE

Chris Voss by Bret Simmons is licensed under CC BY 4.0

4 things salespeople can learn from a former FBI hostage negotiator

Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator. You’ve probably seen the ads for his Masterclass pop up in your Facebook feed, or come across his book, Never Split the Difference, which sold enough copies to prove there’s plenty of interest in the art of negotiation among the general (and business) public.

We came across an article in Forbes that covered some of the tips Voss had for sales reps. And although hostage negotiations might seem like a far cry from what salespeople have to deal with on any given day (threats of violence notwithstanding), Voss does give some valuable tips that can come in handy the next time you find yourself feeling unsure of what steps to take.

Here are four tips from Voss:

Embracing the Power of "No"

Contrary to popular belief, the word "yes" isn't always the most favorable outcome in a negotiation. Voss's experiences suggest a counterintuitive approach: aim for a "no." This strategy, rooted in hostage negotiation tactics, involves framing questions that elicit a "no," which provides a sense of control and safety to the other party. For instance, you can say "Is now a bad time to talk?" instead of "Can you talk for a few minutes?" Is this a bad piece of advice? No, we didn’t think so.

Rethinking Questioning Techniques

The word "why" often triggers defensive responses, making it an ineffective tool in negotiations. Instead, replacing "why" with "what" or "how" can yield better outcomes. This shift in questioning avoids accusatory tones and encourages more open dialogue. For example, "What made you choose that software?" sounds less threatening than “Why did you choose that software?” It’s a subtle shift, but it can make a difference.

Personalizing the Approach

In both hostage and business negotiations, understanding the individual is key. Techniques that work universally are important, but true mastery lies in tailoring the approach based on individual attributes like age, gender, or professional background. In sales, this personalization comes in the form of doing proper research and understanding your customer’s problem, their company’s goals, and even your customer’s personal goals (impressing a boss, saving the company money, feeling like they ‘won’ the negotiation, etc.) This personalized approach requires careful listening and adapting in real-time, and isn’t a silver bullet, unless you put in the effort.

Simplifying Communication

Email has become a primary mode of communication in negotiations. Voss stresses the importance of simplicity in email correspondence. Overly complex emails can overwhelm and confuse the recipient. Drawing a parallel with texting by keeping emails concise and focused on one or two key points can enhance clarity and effectiveness in negotiations. Just remember the acronym, KISS — Keep It Simple, Stupid (we don’t actually think you’re stupid).

In case you don’t want to scroll back up, here’s a summary of Voss’s advice:

Embrace the power of "no" by framing questions that elicit “no” responses
Replace “why” with “what” or “how” to create more open dialogue
Personalize your approach by researching, and adjusting based on new information
Simplify your communication over email (emphasize the top one or two key points)

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How long you can get away with being “new” until you’re held accountable
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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

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QUIZ

Which business is famous salesperson Napoleon Barragan best known for?

A. 1-800-FLOWERS
B. Chia Pet
C. RENT-A-CENTER
D. 1-800-MATTRESS

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Before I got into B2B, I was a car salesman for one of the biggest dealership groups in the Northeast. This was my first taste of sales after being a bartender so I was basically just learning the ropes and what not.

One day, a younger woman came in to look at some cars. She came in by herself but said that her boyfriend was going to meet her shortly. Well, the boyfriend never showed up, so after looking at a few cars and going on a test drive, she gave me her contact info and left the dealership.

Over the next few weeks, she and I texted about pricing and available vehicles. I would occasionally use a smiley face and was pretty conversational and playful because that’s the way she would communicate and we were not that far apart in age. My intentions were to sell a vehicle, and I was in a long-term relationship at the time.

Well, just as I thought we were getting close to a deal, I got a text from her phone. It basically went like this: “This is (woman’s name) boyfriend, you piece of shit. You’re going to stop flirting with my fiance or I’m gonna come down there and make you wish you were never born.”

I wanted to respond (and so did my coworkers) but my sales manager talked me out of it and convinced me to let it go. I never saw or heard from the woman again and ended up leaving car sales less than a year later. Still one of the funniest things that’s happened to me in sales.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- January 2024

WORTH A PEEK

What’s it like to hawk jewelry in the epicenter of the diamond industry? Interview Magazine talked to ten “hawkers” who make their living in New York’s cut-throat Diamond District, where competition is everywhere. Check out what they said here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team

This might be a weird question, but I am a sales manager at a small-ish company in a relatively small town. There isn’t a huge pool of employees and the company owner isn’t interested in having a remote staff because he is very old school.

The problem is that I have a sales rep who I really don’t like. I hate the way he carries himself, I can’t stand his attitude, and we just generally don’t see things the same way. He is not a top performer but he hits his numbers. I would love to get rid of him so that I don’t have to see his face everyday, but he would be difficult to replace. Any suggestions?

Frustrated in Location withheld

Dear Frustrated,

You don’t have to like, or be friends with, the people you work with. If he’s showing up everyday and doing his job competently, then you have no reason to get rid of him. Treat him with professional respect and stick to work-related conversations. Everything else is your own problem.

Quiz Answer: D. 1-800-MATTRESS — (you can read the source article here)

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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