The Good, The Bad and The Ugly salesman

The Good:

The salesman tries to offer the best solution for the customer. No matter what.
If the solution selected or solutions offered by his company are not suited for the customer, the salesman explains why and he doesn’t close the sales.
However he has been honest as he has given information to the customer and brought confidence. This builds a relationship.

On a next occasion the customer will trust the salesman even more. Of course it is a gamble if there will be a next occasion.
However chances are the customer will praise the vendor to his colleagues and friends.

This is the case where salesman has reached his budget or is confident he will make his budget without any doubts. Over achieving a budget is bad too, as the next budget will be increased significantly due to selling significantly more than the budget.

The Bad:

The salesman closes the deal even if the solution is not the perfect fit for solving the problem of the customer. Afterwards, the customer is not completely satisfied but the situation is manageable.

On the next occasion the customer will be wary of the salesman and the vendor company. Thus might not buy again. He probably will not advice the vendor to his peer group.

In this case the salesman just needs a few sales in order to get his yearly or quarterly sales quota. With the budget within reach, in his view an almost good enough solution for the customer is best of both worlds for him and his customer. The customer is likely to see this differently.

The Ugly:

The salesman closes the deal by giving a significant discount and many promises about services, functions or features with the sole purpose of making his budget (and getting his commission), even if the solution isn’t suited for solving the problem of the customer.

It is clear the salesman is way below budget and he is scrambling to get close deals in order to get a large part of his budget. Staying alive is more important than the satisfaction of the customers.

There will be probably no next occasion as the customer will look elsewhere.
It is likely the salesman has left the company after closing several deals in order to get close to his budget, bringing him commissions. He leaves the vendor company behind with unsatisfied customers and several issues.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an Italian spaghetti western of Sergio Leone from 1966 starring:
- Clint Eastwood as Blondie: The Good, a subdued, self-assured bounty hunter.
- Lee Van Cleef as Angel Eyes: The Bad, a ruthless, sociopath mercenary without feelings, who kills anyone in his path.
- Eli Wallach as Tuco: The Ugly, Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez, a comical, oafish, fast talking bandit who is wanted by the authorities.

All three in search of a $200,000 bounty, just like salesmen are in search of making their budget – and getting their commissions.

Have you ever been The Bad or The Ugly? Or are always The Good?
Or have you been all three of them during your career in Sales?

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