Dear salespeople, STOP devaluing your products yourself!

Yesterday, we were checking out some cosmetics at a huge store that sold expensive branded stuff. The salesperson told us the price and saw it on our faces that we didn’t want to buy at such expensive price (though he just didn’t know that my friend loved the product so much that she could have totally gone ahead at bought it at that price). He then bluntly asked us if pricing was the issue. We confirmed.

Not only did he offer to give us the same product at 50% off but added two more products in the same deal. A total discount of close to 90% on all 3 products.

It was a steal!

We still didn’t make the purchase and came out of the store wondering if it was OK spending so much on some skincare products (at 10% the cost, I wouldn’t deny they were still expensive).

The story doesn’t end here. This is where the story starts. :)

Of course, as great a salesman as he was, he made us try all products and get us super tempted about them. We came out of the store and only thing we were discussing was the steal-deal we just left behind.

Now the interesting part of the story — both me and my friend liked the products so much that we finally decided to go back and buy them. But this time, we had a deal for him.

Moving excitedly towards the store, we saw him on the way all packed to leave for home. He saw us, smiled, and knew he had got us. This is what we proposed, “Hey, we want to buy your products. We loved them! Loved them so much that now both of us want to buy them.”

He — “You ladies! Come on, come over. You both get it at the same price. But you both have to promise me that you’ll use it and if people ask you how does your skin glow so much, you HAVE TO introduce them to my products.”

We — “Of course! But we have a deal for you”

He — “What’s it?”

We — “Give us two sets at the same price.”

(There we said it! :D)

He — “No…”

We — SILENCE (THIS ALWAYS WORKS.)

He — “Oh, come on… I already gave you a huge discount.

WE — SILENCE

HE — “OK, come on in. But you get two sets at $300 and not $250(the initial price he quoted us for one set.)

WE — ”nooooo… $250 is cool”

My friend loved the products so much, that she decided to just close the deal.

Her — “$275. And now give them”

He — “OK, you get it.”

Me (IN MY HEAD) — “OK, now I don’t want it. This product is so CHEAP!”

He walked us to his store. And throughout I was just thinking of ways of running away because I just didn’t want to buy anything at 95% discount. I am a sales person myself and I know he will get some commission from this deal. In 5% the cost, there’s some of his commission as well. So how f&*king cheap were these products exactly!?

I didn’t want them. At all. I don’t do cheap products. I know it sounds ironical to whatever I have said above. But I went inside the super huge, super expensive store to get intimidated by prices. To make an impulsive purchase that I would regret later. To feel great that I earn enough to make stupid purchases at such stores. But this salesperson killed that joy! He made this a cheap affair. And I don’t do cheap stuff. Sorry.

Luck backed us. My friend’s credit card didn’t work. We couldn’t make the purchase. And we left happy. :)

Lesson learned in this story:

Salespeople need to stop devaluing their products. If I decided to walk in that huge, expensive store, I came with a mindset that I will see over-priced products here. I was prepared for it. I was ready to see 4 digit dollar value price tags. You, as a salesperson, after discounting it so badly, killed my experience.

You made me feel like it was such a cheap affair. You made me feel that I couldn’t afford your tags.

You took the joy out of my ‘let me throw some money and feel good about it’ experience. You made me believe that I am not meant for your brand at the original value. You told me that I wasn’t your buyer. You didn’t even play it hard enough.

And baby, you don't win me with that!