Why Executives Are Rude On Sales CallsWhy Executives Are Rude On Sales CallsWhy Executives Are Rude On Sales Calls I currently (2023) work as a Sales Engineer. The job regularly involves talking with department heads and VPs in charge of selecting new software. Near the end of evaluations, it isn't uncommon to have to present to their Executives as well - one final demo to the CFO, COO, CTO, sometimes even the CEO. Everything has already been evaluated at this point: we've confirmed the technical features needed, gotten sign-off from the department heads, and gotten

I currently (2023) work as a Sales Engineer.

The job regularly involves talking with department heads and VPs in charge of selecting new software. Near the end of evaluations, it isn't uncommon to have to present to their Executives as well - one final demo to the CFO, COO, CTO, sometimes even the CEO.

Everything has already been evaluated at this point: we've confirmed the technical features needed, gotten sign-off from the department heads, and gotten past pricing & legal. The only thing left to do is sign.

Regularly, this was our first and only time meeting the executive, and I noticed a pattern.

[!highlight] They would constantly start calls by making some rude or offbeat comment about my appearance.

"That shirt makes you look like a DJ"

• COO of a $109m market cap company.

"Wow, you look like a highschooler. You sure you know anything?"

• President of a shipping & logistics company

These aren't exactly the nicest things to say right to the face of someone you just met. Don't you become an executive by being good with people? Where's all the emotional intelligence?

This became common enough that I had to take a step back and figure out what was going on. The System Is Working Perfectly, You Just Don't Understand What It's Designed To Do

Think about why they're even on the call.

• The department actually using the software has already signed off on it, so they're not there to validate the functionality.
• Legal and pricing have already been communicated, so they aren't there to haggle.
• They won't be personally using the software, so there aren't questions on how to do things.

They aren't there to evaluate the software. They're there to evaluate meAboutHi, I’m Samuel Cochrane 👋 , I'd describe myself as an intelligence developer. Sometimes that means transforming and extracting raw data to make it useable for business intelligence. Sometimes that means working directly with people to understand their problems and come up with practical solutions as a Sales Engineer. It often means staring out of a window with my head in the clouds. Right now, I’m working on: * Practical uses for GPT and Stable Diffusion. * Learning D&D. 🧙‍♂️ * My current.

That might sound a bit grandiose, but hear me out for a second.

When they attempt to push my buttons like this, what is being evaluated?

• do I get defensive when my authority is challenged?
• do I act like I have anything to hide?
• can I be trusted to not back down and just tell them what they want to hear?

If I do - that's a red flag. A big one.

If I back down and capitulate - this probably isn't the first time during the evaluation I've done it.

• Maybe I've been lying about the capabilities of the software. Maybe it won't actually work.
• Maybe I have something to hide, and I've just fooled everyone else up until now because they're too trusting.
• Maybe I'm in over my head and don't know what I'm talking about.

Everyone has already validated their questions, so the final check is to evaluate me as the source of that information.

If I take it in stride: what does that say?

"Thanks, it's a colorful office we have here." "Oh I'm quite the wunderkind don't you worry"

I don't need you to like me, and I'll be OK if you don't, because my worth isn't decided by that. I have nothing to hide. I deserve to be here. I have value in this discussion.

These lines, I noticed, are always delivered right at the beginning of the call. That's pragmatic.

They're tests designed to put me on the back-foot. These execs have learned, either consciously or unconsciously, that they get better outcomes when they start interactions like this.

Frankly, they should do it. Better to be rude for 5 seconds than waste the company $50k because nobody properly vetted the guy telling them it was going to work.

See Also

• Powertalk
• Sales Engineer