Ask HN: are soft lies in sales okay? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: are soft lies in sales okay?

#31

Post by edw519 » Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 9:14 PM UTC

swombat wrote: post #30

edw519 wrote: post #18

Never. Trust lost is trust lost forever. Reminds me of the parable of a man who sometimes stretched the truth in business. He went to a guru for help with his "problem". The guru's advice: "Take these 10 feather pillows, slash them open, and release the feathers to the wind. Then come back tomorrow." The next day the man returned for more advice, "Now go get the feathers."

I don't get the story at all. Could you explain?

The feathers are a metaphor for words you wish you never said. It's pretty hard to take them back.

Re: Ask HN: are soft lies in sales okay?

#32

Post by kirubakaran » Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 9:18 PM UTC

swombat wrote: post #29

kirubakaran wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks like you taking your opinion and extrapolating it into "... the fact that people ...", then implying that hence it is immoral ( "But perhaps that was a white lie" ) to ask a non-local 'Ask HN'! Or may be you are just being witty. If anything, local 'Ask HN' is discouraged here by displaying it as gray on gray text.

You may well be right. I didn't mean to be offensive, nor did I mean to be witty. It was just an observation.

Oh okay. Sorry if that sounded argumentative. :-)

Re: Ask HN: are soft lies in sales okay?

#33

Post by swombat » Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 9:35 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #31

swombat wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get the story at all. Could you explain?

The feathers are a metaphor for words you wish you never said. It's pretty hard to take them back.

d'oh. Thanks.

Re: Ask HN: are soft lies in sales okay?

#34

Post by sgibson12 » Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 9:57 PM UTC

I happened to write an article about this a few weeks back. My answer is a concessional yes. But in my limited sales experience I don't do it myself. Thus making me a poor salesperson. See excerpt:

"These tactics are part of all sales. To large degree, it’s accepted and understood to be part of the game. It usually works out in the end since many if not most companies provide valuable services to their customers. At times customers just need a little encouragement to get over their hesitation to commit to buying. For better or worse, these little lies and half truths keep the economy churning."

http://stephenegibson.com/2009/05/25/when-is-wrong-wrong/

Re: Ask HN: are soft lies in sales okay?

#35

Post by nimrody » Tue, Jun 09, 2009, 1:25 PM UTC

Depends on the definition of "soft".

Sometimes you have to be very optimistic (better term: aggressive) regard product features and schedule. This will drive you further and faster towards your goals.

You can't always make all deadlines and keep all promises. And in business (at least in the technology business) nobody expects you to.

If, on the other hand, you make this into a habit -- you will loose trust and customers will be looking elsewhere.

However, I do not necessarily agree with others regarding "long-term" loss of trust. Companies exist to make money and when/if you have a good product that will save them money, you will be able to regain that lost trust.