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Dishonest people make better salespeople

by dreamer123
13 replies
I was just listening to this highly informative and relevant Freakonomics podcast in which we are told that according to scientific research dishonest people make better salespeople.

What do you think to this finding and why do you think this is the case?

Here is the podcast http://http://freakonomics.com/2015/02/26/the-maddest-men-of-all-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
#dishonest #make #people #salespeople
  • Profile picture of the author Joe Stewart
    Originally Posted by dreamer123 View Post

    I was just listening to this highly informative and relevant Freakonomics podcast in which we are told that according to scientific research dishonest people make better salespeople.

    What do you think to this finding and why do you think this is the case?

    Here is the podcast http://http://freakonomics.com/2015/02/26/the-maddest-men-of-all-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

    Personally I can't stand dishonest sales people! They give others a poor reputation by their actions. Sure, you can increase conversions by lying and taking advantage of people, but it's a dead end if you're trying to build long term relationships with customers - which we should be.

    I have no use for dishonest people.
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    • Profile picture of the author dreamer123
      Originally Posted by Joe Stewart View Post

      Personally I can't stand dishonest sales people! They give others a poor reputation by their actions. Sure, you can increase conversions by lying and taking advantage of people, but it's a dead end if you're trying to build long term relationships with customers - which we should be.

      I have no use for dishonest people.
      I am of the same opinion! I sell cyber security solutions to the worlds biggest companies where the sales cycle can last a few years so if I lie that's me over and done with!

      I was actually talking about this very topic with my friend today who agreed with the Freakonomics podcast that you have to be deceptive in sales BUT he was in very low end B2C "hit and run" type situation. I think in those types of situations you have to be dishonest if you want to meet and exceed (so you can earn comission). It's not like you'll ever encounter your "victims" again.
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      • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
        Originally Posted by dreamer123 View Post

        I was actually talking about this very topic with my friend today who agreed with the Freakonomics podcast that you have to be deceptive in sales BUT he was in very low end B2C "hit and run" type situation. I think in those types of situations you have to be dishonest if you want to meet and exceed (so you can earn comission). It's not like you'll ever encounter your "victims" again.
        What rubbish. anyone teaching that is low skilled and full of sh. Purposely setting out to deceive and be dishonest to earn coin amounts to no more than a conman not a salesperson.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    the page no 404's. LOL I wonder why!

    I'm brutally honest and I've enjoyed an awesome sales career.
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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      I am assuming that 'better salespeople" means that dishonest people are willing to lie they're willing to tell prospects whatever the prospects want to hear to make the decision to buy. So, yes, from that point, dishonest people got a sale.

      But, what happens when delivery time comes around?

      Returns and refunds. And the cost of those in terms of immediate money and long term money (loss of income due to reputation and the fact that the buyer who bought based on a lie isn't coming back to buy again).

      So, the question is:
      If an honest salesperson can get 100 people to buy and has 2 returns (with associated costs)

      how many more sales does the dishonest person have to produce to match long term results?
      150? 130? 200?

      Is that better?

      Happened to me, with insurance. I bought insurance from a lady who lied about something. 8 months later, I found out about the lie and cancelled.

      The company she sold for wanted her commission back. They wanted me to buy directly from them, no lies involved. And there were no lies involved.

      I did not buy.

      Worst, when people asked me about that kind of insurance, I didn't mention the company the lying agent worked for. By the way, I recommend 5-7 times over a 1 year or so period.
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by dreamer123 View Post

    I was just listening to this highly informative and relevant Freakonomics podcast in which we are told that according to scientific research dishonest people make better salespeople.

    What do you think to this finding and why do you think this is the case?
    It depends on how you define "Dishonest".

    A pathological liar, won't last long in anyone's employ. And they won't get repeat sales.

    Dishonest people may make better con men. But salespeople? I don't think so.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    No. I think the majority of consumers and business customers are too tired of crap and see
    right through non-sense. Or, at least if they think someone is trying to pull something
    over on them, they act accordingly.
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  • Profile picture of the author daniyal100
    It's common sense, there's no need to do any scientific research..

    Meet 20 new people.. tell half of them that your an I.T professional or a doctor and other half that your a sales man and see the difference.
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  • Profile picture of the author socialentry
    I don't think it's dishonesty (or honesty for that matter) per say.

    I would not be surprised if businessmen had a higher incidence of sociopathy in general.IIRC, sociopathy is a sliding scale and lowers emotional responses to fear./risk/etc.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

      I don't think it's dishonesty (or honesty for that matter) per say.

      I would not be surprised if businessmen had a higher incidence of sociopathy in general.IIRC, sociopathy is a sliding scale and lowers emotional responses to fear./risk/etc.
      Yup. About 1% of the population scores as a psychopath. Most of these people have huge impulse control problems, and are in prison, or in institutions. But there are highly functional psychopaths. And of the CEOs that took the test, 25% were considered psychopaths.

      They aren't dishonest, they're predators.
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      • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Yup. About 1% of the population scores as a psychopath. Most of these people have huge impulse control problems, and are in prison, or in institutions. But there are highly functional psychopaths. And of the CEOs that took the test, 25% were considered psychopaths.

        They aren't dishonest, they're predators.
        Oh no...I'm in the minority....

        ...were do you sit Claude?

        A bit predatory or....?
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by Oziboomer View Post

          Oh no...I'm in the minority....

          ...were do you sit Claude?

          A bit predatory or....?
          I'm getting older, and nicer. But in my prime selling days? Predator. I could describe it as something nicer, and in my books, I do. But a very insightful friend once told me that I was a "crocodile with a high functioning brain".

          To be honest, until I started reading about brain pathology, and psychopathology, I thought I might be the only one.
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  • Profile picture of the author thet
    Based on my experiences, I think a lot of people in sales use the definition 'grey area'.
    Salesperson: "I am not lying. It's a grey area".

    I also think what salespeople call 'grey area' is lying to a lot of other people.
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