1. This topic is for the professional who would like to not lose a sale because he/she was not able to
   gauge the customer’s involvement with specific religion or politics.
2. It is important to be to understand the impact of these two crucial topics on sales calls.
3. Great sales people know how to avoid situation to bring in politics into a conversation.

Words of wisdom

The best sales policy is no politics & no religion. – Author

Author Quotes: 

Why invite politics or religion in a sales meeting?

Author Suggests

• • Having met many a customers in various field, I can be confident of one item. Politics or religion was not my ally in most sales calls.
  • In fact at any time such a topics was bought us, suddenly the product went out the window and in came a discussion on these topics.
  • This discussion turned into a blood bath as it was rare to have a customer who had the same view on these items as me.

Question Yourself ?

• • In the part of the world where you live how many political parties are contending the elections.
    • 2 , 3, or more
    • Here is some data to put into reference.
      USA : 2 parties : the Democrats and the RepublicansIndia: 8 national parties, 53 state parties and 2538 unrecognised partiesPakistan: 13 national parties, 29 state partiesUK : 11 National partiesEurope: 9 partiesPhilippines: 6 main parties
    • Can you guess every customer’s choice of party just by talking to him?
    • Can you guess his/her choice prior to the meeting?
    • Then why should you jeopardize your sales over a disagreement over politic alignments.
  • Suppose the customer supports party A and you support party B, would a discussion between you two over party politics be useful to the sale?
  • Suppose the customer supports party A and you also support party A, would a discussion between you two over party politics be useful to the sale? What if he supports the same party but wants someone else to lead the party and you don’t agree?
    • Then why should you jeopardize your sales over a disagreement over politic alignments

Author Suggests

• • It is not possible to change beliefs that we have developed from childhood or party alignments that are formed historically.
  • Seldom do people change political alignments, simply thorugh an educated discussion.
  • Do you think you will change your opinion about a political party after a discussion with a customer?

Question Yourself ?

• • Is your product designed for a specific political party or is political alignment irrelevant to it?

Author Suggests

• • When your product does not distinguish between customer, why should be do anything like that at all.
  • Your particular views are your particular views, no one can change that
  • Discussing them in a sales call when you know that most likely everyone around you has a different opinion will result in tension only.

Question Yourself ?

• • Is your product designed for a specific religion?

Author Suggests

• • People actually begin wars and kill one another over conflicting religious views.
  • Your religion is your religion you have every right to that, but I feel that not speaking about it is more of  a precautionary measure for yourself and your sales.
  • You don’t know who out there is extremely religious.
  • You could be having a conversation with someone you barely know about your religious views and next thing you know they’re annoyed.

Author Quotes:

Example of the situation

• • Imagine trying to explain the benefits of your product you have a great feature that the competition does not have. And religion comes up.
    • What is your religion?
    • I am a _____________. <<FULL STOP>>
    • Don’t say anything else anymore on this topic. Period.

Here is some more data about religion.

Author Suggests

• • As an examples in the Christian religion
    • There are further divisions

Question Yourself ?

• • Do you really think you know enough to discuss this topic in detail with a customer, who hold his faith very dear to his/her heart?

Author Suggests

• • Let us not get into this debate and let us not discuss the item we do not know of.
  • Let us quickly bow out from this discussion.
  • In fact, we must deflect all such queries and move into the field where our knowledge is supreme. Our own product line and its features and benefits of which we know entirely.