Combatting pushy salespeople from MyTechnoSolutions

Last week a company called MyTechnoSolutions cold-called a relative and convinced her that her computer was under attack by viruses and that if she didn't do something, her computer would break down. They claimed to be official Microsoft representatives and managed to sell her $80 worth of tech support.

This behaviour is not illegal but it's damn well unethical. If you get a call from a company like MyTechnoSolutions, tell them to fuck off.

I thought this was a good example of how some (bad) salespeople manipulate us using urgency. I am very cautious when someone sells to me like this and use techniques to avoid getting ripped off.

Sales tactic: urgency
Quite often, sales people try to make us feel like we have to buy their product right then or else something bad will happen (our computer will blow up or we'll miss out on a special, one off deal). It's very persuasive because as humans, we always try to avoid failure or loss. The truth is that the urgency is almost never real. The product might be great, but the vast majority of the time, we don't really need it right then and there. Sales people know that if they create urgency, they can get us to buy right then.
How to avoid getting ripped off:
I do two things:
1. If I understand the product, then I always give myself 24 hrs to think about whether I really need it. I'll never buy something right then and there. I want to do some research first to make sure it's right for me and I'm getting the best deal.
2. If I don't understand the product, then I make sure I talk to a friend or family member who does.




Selling effectively
Effective sales people don't use urgency as a tactic because they care about forming long term relationships, not selling something once. I choose never to buy from people who pressure me because I think it's rewarding bad sales skills.

I respect good sales people. We all sell something every day. No great work would happen, if visionaries couldn't convince people to turn an idea into action.