This article is the 4th article in the Sales Training 101 article series.
The majority of new salesmen are being told by their managers what they should be doing and how they should be doing it. Even though this is a great way to develop new sales professionals, it doesn’t help eliminate bad selling habits.
So, let’s take a look a look at those bad habits.
Being Impersonal
People like to feel amazing. They love when someone just sits down and honestly cares about what they have to say. After all, who wouldn’t? It is one of the reasons why people buy.
Unfortunately, there are so many salesmen today who just don’t get it. Each day they treat every new person like a faceless prospect and they somehow have the nerve to ask, “What am I doing wrong?”
With Sales 2.0 gaining traction, being impersonal is one of the biggest mistakes of any new or experienced salesman. People will not buy from salesman who treat them like an ATM.
Remember, the more you treat people like people, the more successful you will be at sales.
Failing to Qualify
Have you ever spent your valuable time pitching a product to someone who was unable to buy? They may not have been the decision maker, or they may not have a need for your product. Whatever the reason, this is a huge mistake and a large waste of time.
Before you start your pitch, you should qualify each prospect. Here are some questions you should ask yourself during a sales call:
- “Do they have the power to make the decision to buy?”
- “Do they have a need for what I’m selling?”
- “Do they have the budget for this sale?”
- “Would they buy today or buy later?”
Remember, the best sales pitch can’t give someone the power to buy or the money to buy it.
Taking Rejection Personally
One thing all successful and unsuccessful salesmen share is the fact that they all get rejected. They spend hours preparing the sales pitch, qualifying the prospect, and building an excellent connection, but it does not matter since some clients will still say “No thank you.”
Remember, one rejection is just one rejection. Don’t let it get you down.
Asking Too Many Questions
Just imagine walking through airport security and having to answer one million questions about your luggage. You’re completely innocent, but you still get frustrated. After all, you have a plane to catch.
Sales calls are no different.
Many salesmen try to keep control of a sales call by asking tons of questions. Unfortunately, clients have meetings to catch and they don’t have time to answer each question. Additionally, who likes to be interrogated?
Remember, good salesmen keep the sales call a two-way conversation.
Being a Beggar
Do you remember when you went shopping for your first used car? You most likely went to a used car lot and failed to find anything you liked. Unfortunately, the pushy salesman would continue to say things like “what can I do to get you into this car today?” even though you said “not interested” repeatedly.
You encountered a beggar.
Many salesmen don’t understand the difference between persistence and begging. The latter usually makes them sound desperate and unprofessional.
Remember, if someone is clearly “not interested,” they don’t qualify as a potential customer.
What Are Your Thoughts?
Can you think of any additional selling mistakes that should be included on the list? Leave a comment.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome article.
Some people who fail just need some guidance and I think this is a good starting article..
STUMBLED!
Great article.
Thanks guys.
Great article. RE: #1 – The great sales trainer, Floyd Wickman had a saying that relates to this and it has stuck with me through my sales career; “they don’t what you know until they know that you care”.
Another sales mistake I would add, is “not asking for the order”, and specifically not asking enough. Statistically what separates successful sales people from unsuccessful ones is the number of closing attempts they use in a given sales opportunity. This speaks to the often lack of training within sales organizations.