Sales Is All About Being Pushy

You know the type.

Sleeves rolled up, breath heavy with desperation (and probably a Chicken Tikka sandwich), marching in like a door-to-door hurricane shouting, “ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR CURRENT PROVIDER?”

Yeah, cheers mate. We were happy. Right up until your clipboard knocked over the dog and your pitch made Nan cry.

Let’s bust this one wide open: Sales is not about being pushy. If you're pushy, you're not selling — you're just being a pest with a pitch.

🧓 Back in My Day… (When Pushy Sales Was Fashionable)

Once upon a time, in the magical land of the 1980s, being pushy was the gold standard. You’d rock up to a stranger’s house, stick your foot in the door, and shout, “Just give me two minutes!” like a vacuum cleaner salesman on Red Bull.

Fast-forward to today, and that same approach gets you:

• 3 bad Google reviews

• A restraining order

• And a viral TikTok video titled “Worst Salesman Ever: Watch Him Try To Sell A Toaster To A Cat”

The world’s moved on, mate. The fax machine is dead. So is double-glazing chat. RIP, and good riddance.

💬 “You Just Have to Close Hard!”

You also just have to walk into the sea. Hard closing is about as appealing as a cold call during dinner. No one wants to be “closed.” They want to be understood, like how you felt that one time Adele’s album really got you.

Let’s take two scenarios:

Pushy Pete:

Sells printer ink like it’s the vaccine to ageing. Talks non-stop. Asks no questions. Ends every sentence with “You’d be mad not to.”

Result? Blocked, reported, and possibly cursed.

Curious Claire:

Asks what your business does, listens, nods thoughtfully like she’s on Dragon’s Den, then suggests a simple solution that fits your actual need.

Result? Sold. And invited to the Christmas party.

👂 Shut Up and Listen (No, Really)

Modern sales is therapy with a price tag. It’s not about getting the “yes” at any cost. It’s about earning a “yes” that feels like relief, not regret.

Your job isn’t to convince someone to buy a lawnmower for their balcony. It’s to help them realise their weeds are killing their vibes — and oh look, here’s a solution, if it makes sense.

Ask good questions:

• “What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?”

• “What have you tried already?”

• “Would you like to see how we’ve helped someone similar?”

These aren’t Jedi mind tricks. They’re just… basic conversation. You know, the thing people used to do before chatbots and jargon took over.

🔑 Consultative Selling Is King (and Pushy is in the Bin)

Pushy sales is the hungover bloke at the pub who still thinks “Always Be Closing” is a personality trait.

Real sales pros? They’re listeners. They’re problem-solvers. They ask smart questions, shut up when it’s not their turn, and don’t try to flog something if the fit isn’t right.

They don’t “handle objections” like a bouncer with a clipboard. They understand them, unpack them, and — gasp — accept when the answer is “Not now.”

🧠 Final Thought from Your Mate Down The Pub

Sales isn’t war. It’s not a hostage negotiation. It’s not The Apprentice, Week Two.

It’s a chat. With a point.

If you’re being pushy, you’re doing it wrong — and probably annoying everyone, especially Nan.

So leave the hard closes, aggressive tactics, and ego-driven waffle behind.

Get curious. Get helpful. And maybe — just maybe — let the sale come to you.

🍻 Cheers to consultative selling. Pushy Pete, you’re barred.