8 Most Common Sales Mistakes

Making mistakes is a daily occurrence regardless of your occupation, in sales, it is usually more costly because it can mean the difference between making a sale and walking away empty handed. Below you’ll find 8 of the most common sales mistakes that have come between closing a sale and losing a prospect:

Allowing a prospect to lead the sales process: Asking questions is the simplest way of taking control the sales interaction process. This is also one of the most effective ways to see how compatible your product or service is with your prospect. Asking the right questions that help uncover specific issues, objectives, or problems are the key to maintaining control and establish your expertise.

Not being prepared: Being prepared is probably one of the hardest things to be when you go out making calls or have a first meeting, but it’s extremely important. This means having all the facts about your prospect’s business, your competitor’s facts, samples, testimonials, and an excavating list of questions. Not only are questions good for fact finding, but they help in handling objections. First impressions are a one time event, don’t go unprepared.

Talking too much: Saying too much is something alot of salespeople tend to do when going through the sales process. I can’t even begin to tell you how many prospects I’ve lost because something stupid slipped out of my mouth, don’t rant about how amazing your service is, your features, and so on. Concise points about your product are the only thing you need, then let the client explain why you are right or wrong. Ask questions and shut your mouth!

Irrelevant information: Your client has enough information from your key points, they don’t need useless facts about anything else. Make every word that comes out of your mouth about them, and how they will benefit from working with you. Illuminate their minds with facts and they will see how much value your product or service brings to the table.

Lacking a focused sales structure: Although you probably don’t have control over this aspect of the sales department, it’s imperative that you identify the lack of structure as a problem. If your company lacks specific information such as the way sales territories are defined, the way markets and customers are targeted, the training and development system of the company, and the sales tools that are used. Without structure, there can be no building up. Present ideas to your sales manager or whomever has the power to make something happen.

Neglecting to ask for the sale: Commitments are a must when you are dealing with a new customer, just don’t put it that way. It is your obligation to ask the customer for one, especially if you’ve invested time and money in finding a solution for their problem and assessing their needs. You’re probably asking yourself “what if I come across as pushy?”, as long as you ask for the sale in a non-threatening, confident manner, people usually respond favorably. The key here is to know when to ask for the sale, and this happens once the customer sees why they need your product and that you are the right guy/girl to provide it.

Failing to prospect: When you’re making lots of sales and business is good, you probably stop prospecting for new clients for a period of time. Forgetting how long your sales cycle is and assuming more prospects will come from the ether. The key is to prospect all the time, regardless of how good or bad business is.

Not knowing your perfect customer: Outselling your competition will only happen when you acquire the invaluable skill of being able to get to know your customer better and deeper. Having this invaluable skill will allow you to have an open door to their business and their referrals. You have to be able to understand your customer’s needs, therefore you need to know who they are and what they need.