The vast majority of those you will encounter in the HR software sales world are going to be professionals. If they aren’t, they don’t typically last very long. But what happens if you encounter a dishonest sales rep?
I went on a few HR Information Systems demos with a representative from another company a number of years ago. He was frequently asked questions about features the software did not provide. Without a change in his speech pattern, or any tell at all, he would either tell the prospect he would get back to them with an answer and then never did, ignore the question and change the topic, or on a few occasions he would look the prospect directly in the eye and say “It will do it.” Had the clients looked at me they would have known this was a lie.
That particular vendor was sued several times by prospects which were lied to. They eventually let that “sales consultant” go. Hard to believe but that individual ended up as a sales trainer for one of the largest national payroll organizations. He recently contacted me through Linkedin.com but I did not reply. Not the type of contact I want to be associated with.
The vast majority of sales people within the HRIS HRMS software industries you will encounter are going to be sales consultants. The difference between a sales person and a sales consultant is that a sales consultant will assist you with determining your needs and assist you with determining if their product is the best match for your needs. A sales consultant would rather walk away from the deal than misrepresent the software they sell. But how do you tell the difference? How can you protect yourself and your organization from this type of dishonest unethical sales person?
- Take Control of the Demo – If the HRMS software sales person tells you their system provides a particular capability have them show it to you. Let’s say, for example, that you need a turnover report run for a particular time frame and a certain employee type. Don’t take their word for it; have the consultant show you exactly how the software meets this need.
- Checking References – I wrote an earlier article on this exact subject which is pretty comprehensive. Note – Check references of the person who will be implementing your system. If they don’t have at least ten implementations of the system you will purchase, use someone else. Everyone has to perform their first HR Management System implementation, just don’t let it be for you.
- Make sure scope is well defined in Implementation contract – If you need exact reports or interfaces to other systems make certain that all of this is well defined in the contract.
- Watch out of Slick Sales Lines – If you receive any slick sales lines that should be a red flag. You know, “What’s it going to take to put you in this car” type of thing. I think I have heard enough hokey sales lines that now when I hear one, the hairs on the back of my neck raise. Listen to your hairs.
- Remember what your momma said – If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I hope that you never encounter an unethical sales representative. But if you do, I hope these few tips assist you with spotting them. If nothing else, if they slither through the door, that might be a good indication of a dishonest sales rep.
If you don’t spot the dishonest sales rep and end up buying HR software things become a far more complicated. The software is important but being able to trust your vendor is just as important if not more so.