Fear of Salesmen (Real Phobia?)

The customer started walking faster as I approached him, so I pursued him with a little more intensity. My colleagues noticed my situation and watched with amusement as I turned to them and said “We have a runner over here” a term I coined for clients who steer clear of salesmen and start moving faster to avoid the dreaded interaction.

In sales, you often find the salesmen sharing their take on a customer’s behavior, which from experience, is mainly odd. What makes a client react a certain way when confronted by sales employees? Here is my take.

The client sees the salesman as someone who is there to take their hard-earned dollars and not someone who is there to assist them in choosing the best product for their budget.

This myth was created a long time ago by the popular "used car salesman" expression. (The used car salesman stereotype of being overly pushy, deceptive, or focused solely on making a sale rather than genuinely helping customers.)

This reputation arises from instances where some salespeople prioritize their commission over the needs and concerns of buyers, leading to mistrust and skepticism among consumers. However, it's important to recognize that not all used car salespeople fit this stereotype, I have many friends who work in this field and love what they do and explain the vehicle with such passion that you want to buy one.

Another term, the boys and I came out with, is the "black hole", where the client mysteriously disappears when the salesman is distracted for a few moments. No one sees them leave the store. It’s the type of client that can’t say no and leaves, well sneaks out, at the first opportunity.

These types of situations/scenarios are seen mainly at big surface stores.

Now I know that there are annoying salespeople out there, I have been served by some and have worked alongside others.

One of the strangest things that customers have done to me is having me give them all the details of a product and then tell me that they will buy it online, which is mind-blowing on a social behavior level. It has happened to me a few times. I tried explaining to the customer that there would be no commission for me if she bought it online and that the whole profit from the sale would go to the store but it did not change her mind. To me, it was disrespectful and mean.

So what makes consumers act this way? Is there a condition for this type of behavior? There doesn't seem to be a fear of salesmen phobia recorded by any clinical literature.

The fear of salespeople can be considered a type of social anxiety. Some people experience high-level anxiety when dealing with salespeople due to various factors:

1. Pressure and manipulation ("Sales tactics")

2. Confrontation avoidance

3. Past negative experiences

4. Financial stress

   This fear can manifest in behaviors like:

   • Avoiding retail stores during peak hours or very slow periods(more salesmen lol)

   • Shopping exclusively online - (The store competes with its salesmen)

   • Rushing past salespeople in stores (A Runner)

   • Feeling physical symptoms of anxiety when approached by sales staff (Panic Attack)

   While not typically severe enough to be classified as a clinical phobia, this fear can impact the everyday life and shopping habits of the consumer.

   **This story is real, all the scenarios happened on the sales floor of a large furniture retail chain.

   Originally posted on Linkedin
   https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fear-salesmen-real-phobia-raffi-boyadjian-3aj0e