The idea that one can ask me a few questions and give good advice when buying a phone, a car, a house etc.. is just bizarre.
Maybe it is not like that in the general population, but it certainly is within technically-minded people.
They would come from the manufacturer manual or a spec sheet or something like that.
Windows has some objective, known, minimum hardware requirements. Are they open to interpretation?
What kind of products are you buying that make you wonder how to get objective facts about them?
I don't think that it makes any sense to choose OS by minimum requirements.
Here is another objective fact about Windows: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41818815
Your feelings however seem to be good arguments?
They also want to be able to pressure you for "next steps" or the "follow up" meeting.
I get it, a call can be a lot more efficient for a discussion. There are certainly legitimate reasons to prefer a call to an email. But it reminds me a lot of big tech companies seizing to things like "security" as an ~excuse~ justification for doing things that benefit them. I know the motives aren't pure, and that bothers me.
A good salesperson will make sure the choice process is relatively quick and painless. You will feel good afterwards knowing that all the 125 aspects that differentiate this model from the other ones are not that important. The one you chose runs your favourite apps, integrates well with your car and your home entertainment system.
Understanding this and learning how to sell helps in life, incl. negotiating architectural changes with non technical decision makers.
The best salesperson isn't the one whose customers are leaving the shop smiling just like a TV advert where buying X or Y will solve every problem in life, but rather the one whose customers leave the shop angry after having purchased this or that product or service, because that is an indicator they were squeezed until just before the point they tell the seller to stick their product somewhere and leave for the competition. Not that I like it, but that is how I see it.
Low trust == maximize mechanical power and optimization
Higher trust == invest time, relationship-building and lower individual transaction profit over a larger volume of profit
Few consumer sales interactions fall into the second category.
I know what I need just gimme the 100 MBPs plan!
Exactly except:
If you're a CEO, the info you care about is one set of info.
If you're a user, the info you care about is different.
If you're some other influencer, the info you care about is different again.
Everyone wants different sets of info. Good sales is figuring out what that is and giving it to you.
Unless you're a 1 person company, nothing you do ever only impacts you.
Usually people say that people skills are as important for having lots of impact as technical skills, but the bar for people skills is really low sometimes I guess.
They are simply saying that any system involving multiple people will also involve people convincing other people to do things.
Do you have a system which doesn't involve that? Does it involve cybernetic implants and hive minds?
I had the benefit of learning this before I ever went to University by working sales jobs while in High School, and boy has it made my life easier not only as a programmer but also in nearly any collaboration with co-workers.
Don't recite features and benefits, that's just lazily hoping the person you're trying to convince will do your job for you. Take the time to ask enough questions to know and understand their needs. If the thing you're pitching can at least fit, and preferably help solve, some of those needs then you have a good chance of getting them to buy in. If, on the other hand, it doesn't address a need they have then you're going to struggle to convince them... and perhaps that may also be a clue that your solution may not actually be the best way to go.