Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make
Here are the biggest mistakes salespeople make. Yes, I could talk about giving away price too soon, not following up enough or trying to use silly and manipulative sales techniques. However, I believe the following mistakes (are the biggest) are made even before people get to the stage in sales where they need to think about skills.
1- Selling For Money: This problem is actually two-fold. One at an individual level and the other one at the organization level. There are 'certain' goals passed on to the salespeople (also known as targets). I have yet to come across an organization where they aren't (only) spelt out in terms of money. Further, salespeople are incentivized on the money they bring in. So naturally the salespeople start thinking in terms of selling (your product or service) and getting the numbers in. In doing so, you probably give them training, again to sharpen skills, to learn modern sales techniques, to learn some closing techniques and so on and so forth. The salespeople are armed with these and are constantly trying to bring the money in.
The focus invariably, therefore shifts to 'Sell and Bring The Money In" - and the customer gets educated likewise and 'picks up' your focus or need for sales (money) - and in comes the discounts, the price-cutting, the 'blame game', the silly techniques, the 'forced' loyalty programs like the airline miles, the 'price justifications' - also termed by some ignorant people as value selling.... etc... etc...
The SAD part is that it probably somehow works for you - AND you don't (will never) discover the better way.
The FACT is that 'targets' are stupid numbers mostly set by people who cannot make sales. So they focus on numbers.
The QUESTION is that are your people making or achieving these numbers. Even if they are, I can guarantee you hear yourself constantly saying these words - "They can do better."
The DANGER is that the long-term perspective shifts to getting into sales for money.
The REALITY is if you don't love what you do, you'll never achieve the goals you've dreamt for yourself.
For the salespeople reading this - If your goal is to make money - get out of sales - you are far (FAR) better off being a politician.
2- Failure to realize that attitude is what succeeds: A big, rather the biggest part of selling is positive anticipation. It is expecting an outcome in your favor. if you are entering sales meeting anticipating that the customer will talk about 'price' or 'issues' - or if you are entering sales meetings thinking about what isn't right about your product or service and how you are going to plug those gaps -- You, my friend, will experience pathetic closure rates and lengthy sales processes - extending to over 5-7 meetings or 6-12 months.
People who are desperately trying to make money through selling - handle problems. People who make sales, make themselves the winner, even before the sales happen.
"I am the best there ever is and will be. I said it even before I knew I was." Muhammad Ali
3- Blaming others versus taking responsibility: It is really easy to put someone else at fault - People not on time. That department not keeping their word. They don't supply on time. They just don't deliver as promised.
Or we start blaming circumstances - Server is down. Phone is out. Courier didn't reach on time. The flight was late.
Think of yourself as the buyer and the person sitting in front of you is chattering away all these excuses. What will your response be. I can tell you mine - "Incompetent"
If you are relying on other people to help make your sale - And if is going to be credited to you as your sale - THEN you MUST be responsible to follow up and ENSURE that they have done their part. Most failures that you experience - study carefully - 90% of them will be because of 'poor communication' and not because of 'poor execution'
4- Trying to sell rather than people buying: You have heard it a thousand times and here it is again. People buy for their reasons and not ours. So beginning a sales presentation or a meeting by telling them who you are and what you do is useless. They have heard the same pitch from everybody they meet.
I have ONLY one suggestion - Convert your sales process into 75% questions. The answers to these questions should let the prospect prove to themselves - (a) - the degree of their need. (b) - how you are better than the experiences they have had till now. (c) - why you are the best choice. (d) how can they buy right now.
5- Not believing in what you are selling: Its appalling that how may people have very little faith in what they are selling and still continue to try selling it. It Will Not Work. If, in your company, you think you are doing everything right and wondering why the growth is not coming in proportions it should - I can guarantee that this is the reason.
At a sales meeting recently - I was in discussions about our work at a 'Television' company. They are a very well known, but an upcoming brand. There were fourteen sales people at the meeting. They had called me to present our program details to them during their review meeting. These people were managers who were mostly responsible for entire sales.
I was asking them about their challenges and later summarized what they said in the form of theses very mistakes that I have written above. However when I said to them this last point - "Your people are not believing what you are selling" - Prompt came the response from one of them - "This is not true. I don't agree."
I asked these fourteen people one question - "How many of you watch television at home on the brand that you are selling?" Six hands were raised. I asked another question and this one is for everybody: "HOW can you possibly sell something that for any reason whatsoever, you yourself resist to own?."
If you don't own what you are selling, please sell something else.
We all make tons of mistakes. I my experience of sales. I can tell you that if you take the above points to heart - it will bring you more sales that any 'selling technique' ever will. If your belief is strong enough, these sales will always turn into life long relationships, no matter where you are tomorrow.
The one thing that separates a transaction from a relationship is - belief that you can genuinely add value to the person sitting opposite you. Once you believe it, you are compelled to find ways to do it. Once you do it, the relationship is formed.
I have, rather our company has always followed these principles and I'll just take one final moment to tell you what it means to do so. We have worked for several clients. I am in touch with most of them. Not in a regular touch in anyway. BUT I can with 100% surety tell you this - God forbid, if we were to run in some trouble where work dries up for any unforseen reason - I can pick up the phone and call at least one person in any of these organization and ask for work.
I am more than sure that we'll be back on track the very same day and I wish the same for you.