Car Engines and Gas Prices Can Help Eliminate Obsolete Sales Tactics

May 15, 2025
Posted by: Dave Kurlan
Category: Understanding the Sales Force

Why does the power generated by a car engine continue to be measured in horses? According to Wikipedia, “Car makers began discussing horsepower in the late 19th century, particularly after the introduction of the first modern gasoline-powered automobile by Carl Benz in 1886.”

It’s been nearly 150 years since they began the transition from horses to motorized carriages or cars; do you suppose we could measure the power of engines differently than comparing them to horses?

Speaking of gasoline, what about the pricing? When I was growing up there was a well-traveled road with eight gas stations next to each other, and there were non-stop price wars with prices ranging from 17.9 cents to 19.9 cents per gallon. Back then, each 9/10 of a cent made a difference. Today, gas prices run in the range of $3-$5 and pricing gas by the 9/10 cent doesn’t make any sense. Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if the prices were rounded up to the next full cent?

Sales has its own set of traditions where we could reasonably ask, “Why are we still doing that?”

Starting with a pitch or demo: We have been teaching salespeople to use a consultative approach for decades and while the most successful salespeople do sell this way, and whether on the phone, via email, or face-to-face, most salespeople still begin with a pitch. This large group of salespeople are primarily order takers. There are three primary reasons as to why they start with a pitch rather than taking a consultative approach:

Prospects ask, “What do you have?” or “What can you show me?”
Companies produce slides and presentations to support and encourage presentations and demos
Most salespeople are more comfortable presenting and pitching than with asking questions

Quotes and Proposals: You might not consider a proposal as an outdated tradition but I do! Proposals may be required in some situations, like selling to the government and large corporations, but they are not always necessary in other scenarios. The most successful salespeople create significantly fewer proposals than most salespeople, who use quotes and proposals as a security blanket instead of having in-depth financial conversations with their prospects about investments and budgets in the Qualification stage. When those conversations occur and pricing is agreed to at that time, proposals and/or quotes are often unnecessary. When legal documents are required, it will be a formality to complete the sale, rather than a first attempt at closing.

Asking Questions: Don’t get me wrong, I love it when salespeople ask good, tough timely questions. But it’s a different story when salespeople ask pitiful, weak, stupid questions. Below are some examples of those awful questions and in parentheses, possible prospect responses that can make things worse, not better.

Do you have a budget? (“No”)
What’s your budget? (They provide some amount that is not nearly enough)
When do you expect to make a decision? (They respond with either “I don’t know” or an answer that significantly extends the sales process)
Who is the Decision Maker? (“I am”)
What keeps you up at night? (“Nothing”)
When can I get back to you? (“Follow up with me in two weeks”, but no specific day or time is agreed to)

Following Up: Salespeople have been following up since the first caveman sold a premade club to a Wooly Mammoth hunter. This is my recollection of how the first-ever sales call went.

Sales Caveman: “How long it take to make club?”

Hunter: “Two moons.”

Sales Caveman: “Include chopping down tree?”

Hunter: “Five more moons.”

Sales Caveman: “Why so long?”

Hunter: “Too much work.”

Sales Caveman: “What if ready-made to kill Wooly Mammoth?”

Hunter: “Wow. How much?”

Sales Caveman: “Brownie Sundae.”

Hunter: “I talk with Mrs. Caveman. That her favorite dessert. Won’t want to spend more ice cream.”

Sales Caveman: “I e-tablet you next moon.”

Note that the Sales Caveman began with a consultative approach but he completely skipped qualification and when the Hunter asked how much, the conversation became a price-based rather than value-based conversation. Then he took a think-it-over and arranged to follow up by e-tablet.

Some follow up can be avoided when salespeople are more effective qualifying their opportunities, while other follow up can be avoided when salespeople become more effective at not taking stalls and put offs at closing time. A lot of unnecessary follow up also occurs when salespeople fail to pay attention to the timing, and making sure that they don’t try to close until the prospect is closable. Many stalls and put offs don’t manifest when the timing is right, and the opportunity is fully qualified. Then there’s the follow up itself. Could anything salespeople do be more cringy? I am so sick of salespeople sending emails that say: