Top five sales mistakes
Top five sales mistakes
Every sales person makes mistakes from time to time. Here are my top five most encountered sales mistakes and how to prepare yourself from having this happen to you.
1. Preparation. Do your homework before making sales calls. Know your product or service inside and out. Be prepared to answer questions. Knowing what you are going to say and how you are going to respond to questions, will keep you one step ahead of the game.
2. Aggression. Establish a rapport with your customers before going straight to the sale. Take the time to discover pain points for prospects and work with them to get what they want. Building a relationship along the way might not guarantee success the first time, but will give you the sale in the end.
3. Listening. Listening to your clients has to be one of the biggest mistakes sales people make. Customers have their own needs and are looking for fulfillment. Ask questions. Listen to their views on products. Don’t be a conversation hog. A better sales person is one who knows their customers, knows their product or service and knows when it is best to listen instead of talk.
4. Dismissing a prospect. Just because the customer is not interested right now does not mean they will not be an active prospect in 2 months. Ask the right questions. When does your budget year begin? When is your current contract up for review? Do you have any issues that need to be addressed? Don’t waste your sales calls. Document all information collected for future use and schedule periodical callbacks to keep in touch.
5. New Business. When sales are going well, we have a tendency to forget to seek out new clients. In order for your business to continue to grow, you will need to continue to prospect for new business. Find new and exciting ways to bring business to you.
The final thought for top mistakes would be- always be prepared. A sales person that takes the time to know their product, service and their customers will always be a success compared to one that uses strong arm tactics.
