sales resistance

English

Noun

sales resistance (uncountable)

1. (marketing) A general reluctance on the part of a potential buyer to buying a product (as opposed to a specific, legitimate, concern or objection).
   • 1996, Bertrand Russell, Harry Ruja, Mortals and Others: American Essays, 1931-1935, page 98:

     Throughout recent years, a vast amount of money and time and brains has been employed in overcoming sales resistance, i.e. in inducing unoffending persons to waste their money in purchasing objects which they had no desire to possess.

   • 2002, Brian Tracy, Be a Sales Superstar, page 84:

     The objections could revolve around your price, the customer's satisfaction with his or her existing supplier, complacency with the existing situation, the newness of or lack of familiarity with your product, or even knee jerk sales resistance that comes automatically.

   • 2012, Benson Smith, Tony Rutigliano, Discover Your Sales Strengths:

     Even though they may agree that they should have life insurance, their sales resistance starts to take over and they become reluctant.

   • 2015, John McDonough, Karen Egolf, The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising:

     Eicoff was convinced that sales resistance would be highest during prime time and lowest during late night.

   • 2021, Richard M. White, The Entrepreneur's Manual:

     However a significant percentage of the salesmen selling your products (approximately 55%) can't distinguish between a sales resistance and a legitimate obstacle if their life depends upon it, and then two things occur.

2. (figuratively) A resistance to accepting a new idea or a change in the way things are done.
   • 1957, Charles E. Irvin, How to sell yourself, your ideas, your products, page 18:

     Ideas of democratic freedom periodically lived, and were periodically buried under years of oppressive sales resistance and dictatorial domination.

   • 1960, George Bernard Huszar, The Intellectuals: A Controversial Portrait, page 396:

     As the intellectual's role is to make people know for true and good what they did not previously recognize as such, he encounters a formidable sales resistance, and he works at a loss.

   • 2015, Nancy Pearcey, Finding Truth, page 254:

     Christians must learn to examine both sides in order to develop “sales resistance” to the many dubious ideas hawked in the media, politics, education, entertainment, and yes, churches.

   • 2016, Alan Peacock, “The Credibility of Liberal Economics”, in Geoffrey E. Wood, editor, Explorations in Economic Liberalism: The Wincott Lectures, page 97:

     Secondly, the emotional sales resistance to liberal ideas is particularly virulent among those who play a crucial role in promoting government services which directly impinge on the everyday lives of citizens (the social services), while intellectual scepticism towards liberal policies is both marked and influential among those who run our industrial affairs inside and outside the public sector.

See also

• consumer resistance

Further reading

• “sales resistance”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “sales resistance”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “sales resistance” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “sales resistance”, in Collins English Dictionary.