The (Sales) Funnel of Love.
Engagement indicates interest, so you’ll need a hard yes or a hard no.
Let me just remind us all of the obvious:
Engagement Indicates Interest.
You are not going to be able to reason with a seasoned pitch-person/salesperson. A salesperson doesn’t (necessarily) care if you are happy or sad, turned on or angry, upset or content, but it’s their job to leverage any and all emotions/words you express to them, even if it seems like next to none. Any and all reactions are fair game.
Explaining why you “can’t buy” or “can’t buy right now” is still a part of the script and a phase of the sales funnel (of love) process.
You need to have, on hand, an immediate hard yes or a hard no.
(Yes but not now, in sales-speak is a hard yes, because it keeps you in the funnel).
If you subscribe to or sign up for deals, bargains, or soft sales like updates, you’ve signed up for deals, bargains, and solicited solicitations to make their way to you from inside the (sales) funnel of love.
Figure out:
1)If you really want to buy, or can afford a spend.
2) How much you want to spend and where. (Why isn’t relevant.)
3) Then, you can pick up the phone or open/answer the email.
Otherwise, it’s alligator wrestling: an onslaught of leading questions or prompts you hadn’t anticipated, and needless frustration for at least one party.
Any emotion you elicit is going to generate some kind of sale, eventually, because you’re in the funnel. Salespeople can quit you/unsubscribe you/opt you out. It’s not necessarily rare, but that’s the only thing that ends the cycle outside of yourself. You’re grooming yourself for an eventual sale when you keep in touch.
As long as you’re subscribed or on the list, you’re in the funnel.
Naturally, sales/marketing isn’t bad or wrong in and of itself, nor is the person doing that job.
It gets complicated when a salesperson adds the word “friend” to an autoresponder sequence or calls you “friend,” and it’s repeated enough.
Subconsciously, it’s human to naturally gravitate toward such communication (and of course, escalated communiques playing on many other natural emotions, feelings, extrapolations on such a concept).
Even the opposite approach (inciting or playing with your distaste, dislike or disgust) still works. You’re still going to react on some level(s).
Is this [product/service/experience/fun tchotchke] something you want, need, or know you’ll love/enjoy? And even if you can’t buy now, you know you might someday?
Then go ahead and keep in touch.
No? It’s not? Especially if the pitch you’re getting is unsolicited? Then you need to communicate a hard no. Not a maybe. Not a soft no. Take a picture of it, plaster the image up on your wall (or desktop) and say no.
If it’s a spam email or unsolicited email, your no should be adding it to the spam filter. Rather than removal from the email list (which indicates your email address now exists and invites more spam), delete/block the communication. Make the no an energetic one, in this particular instance.
You’re being kinder with yourself if you allow yourself to stay awake and remain prepared. It’s not necessarily a salesperson’s job to facilitate or encourage such awareness.
<3,
Shakti P.
