5 Common Mistakes To Avoid While Selling
While good salespeople search for what they can add to their sales process, great salespeople are also keeping an eye out for what they might need to remove.
Unfortunately.. knowing which behaviors and tactics to get rid of isn’t always easy.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of 5 common mistakes salespeople make while selling. If you’re guilty of making any of these mistakes in your own approach, you’ll want to make sure you avoid them moving forward.
1. Being Too Laid Back
Sales requires you to have a presence; being too laid back can only serve to make you ineffective.
If you come across as too passive or distant, your prospects will have a hard time taking you seriously.
(It’s one thing to project a friendly demeanor, it’s another to be so laid back people forget why you’re there.)
You need to be able to keep your audience engaged and interested for the duration of the sales conversation. If this is currently a problem for you, you’ll need to learn to assert yourself more.
2. Using Outdated Sales Tactics
There’s a long list of old school sales tactics that no longer work in today’s world of business.
Occasionally, you might encounter someone committed to a revival of the ‘good old days’.
These ‘retro sellers’ cling to tactics like the ‘ABCs of Sales’ (Always Be Closing) and use salesy phrases like, “If I could address all of your concerns or issues, are you prepared to make a buying decision today?“
These tactics were applied heavily in the 1970’s and 80’s, and were just as insulting to prospects then as they are today, with the main difference being that everyone is far more perceptive to them now.
If you’re serious about selling without coming across as unprofessional or ‘salesy’, make sure to avoid these ancient relics like the plague that they are.
3. Failing To Ask For The Sale
Another mistake rookie salespeople make is failing to ask for the sale.
These salespeople have what I call ‘PVS’, or Professional Visitor Syndrome – they do all the work to get the sale and then leave without asking for it.
If you’ve gone through all the effort of preparing for the meeting – and the prospective client has given you their time and listened to your presentation – then the least you can do is ask them to make a buying decision.
If this is hard for you, keep in mind that your prospects aren’t blind to why you’re there. They’re expecting you to ask them to buy from you.
In fact, when you don’t ask them, it gives them the impression that you assessed your solution to be a poor fit for their requirements. So, unless you want to stir up feelings of hesitation and doubt within your prospects, ask them for the sale!
4. Talking Too Much
Some salespeople have a tendency to drone on and on until the last person has left the room.. or at least until every last person wished they could leave the room.
What these well-meaning, enthusiastic salespeople don’t realize is that their non-stop talking is accomplishing nothing aside from overwhelming their audience. What should be a two-way conversation turns into a one-way speech that nobody wants to be subjected to.
Instead, your goal should be to allow others to do almost all of the talking so that when it comes your turn to speak you’re able to communicate as clearly and concisely as possible.
If you’re someone who processes your thoughts and ideas out loud, dial it back. Learn to process your ideas in your head before you share them with the rest of the world.
5. Cutting People Off
Similar to the previous point on being mindful of how much you talk, you also need to be mindful of when you choose to talk.
As a sales professional, you never want to interrupt someone, even if they’re saying something you don’t agree with, or something that you feel is incorrect, don’t cut them off.
Instead, take a breath and let them finish. There’s no point in trying to correct someone before you’ve heard everything they have to say. Listen closely while they finish their thoughts to make sure you fully understand what they’re really saying.
This allows you to offer an informed response – and only if you still deem it necessary. In some cases, you may realize that they actually have a good point or sound reasoning behind what they’re saying. If this is the case, waiting to hear them out will have also saved you from the embarrassment of dismissing them too early.
Removing Your Blind Spots
If you recognize any of these harmful habits in yourself, you might just be standing in the way of your own success.
Thankfully, all of these blind spots can become visible in time by working to develop your self-awareness and listening to any helpful feedback you receive from advisors and others who you trust.
If you can stay committed to upgrading your sales process – whether by adding to it or removing from it – you’ll continue to experience greater heights of success in sales.