3 min read
Selling means putting a great number of skills to practice but the smallest slip could spoil it all. What are some of the biggest sales mistakes and how can you avoid them?
Many companies rely on their sales force to maintain growth and a recent study by Indeed.com shows that sales related professions are some of the most sought after. The role of a sales rep offers many opportunities but it’s important to note that if is their industry of choice, they’ll still need to develop their selling skills with a constant hunger to learn more.
The best way to start out in sales is learning from the experience of others and understanding some of the common errors committed by even the most experienced sales reps. Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll never commit one of these yourself but hopefully you’ll be able to spot them when they do come knocking.
The Most Common Errors that can Sabotage a Sale
#1. Nerves
There’s time left and hope is all bust lost in reaching your monthly sales quota. You’re stressing and impatient to break the this bad run of form. It’s understandable but a client will notice immediately if you’re feeling nervous. Would you feel confident dealing with someone who seems so unsure in themselves, let alone their product?
You must appear relaxed and sure of yourself. Go with the flow. If you learn to control your body language and calmly apply the appropriate sales techniques to each step of the process, you’re much more likely to close the sale.
#2. Coming unprepared for your sales visit
Having a defined interview outline is a big help to any sales rep.
Improvisation is always an option but it’s not always guaranteed to pull you through.
Prepare for your interview beforehand. This doesn’t mean sticking to a script, but writing some notes to support you. That way, you can make any changes later depending on the way the conversation goes with your client.
#3. Arriving without sales collateral
We already mentioned the importance of organization and coming prepared to your sales visits with material to support your sale (business cards, brochures, product catalogs) in our post on 7 Cold Calling Tips for Sales Success.
Interrupting a sales meeting to go look for your product catalog, business cards or whatever it may be is not only slightly annoying, but also looks a little unprofessional.
To avoid this problem, ForceManager CRM allows you to digitally store your material and documents, PDFs, PowerPoints, photos, you name it! Impress your client by showing it all on your smartphone or tablet, whilst proving that your company is up to date with the latest technology.
#4. Forgetting what happened in a previous meeting
There’s only one thing worse than not remembering what happened in a previous meeting…and that’s forgetting a client’s name (maybe even as bad as calling your partner by an ex’s name.) But we’re sure you won’t do that.
Not remembering what was discussed or what outcomes were reached in a previous meeting is a sure way to dissuade your client and drastically reduce the chances of closing the sale. However, if you can impress them and make them feel special you can increase your chances by as much as 50%.
The ‘Activity’ section of our mobile CRM elmiminates these margins for error. You can consult the history of your interactions between you and your client, access emails exchanged, the date of each sales visit and anything you’ve noted down from previous meetings. It’s all there so you just can take a quick glance at the most important information 5 minutes before your next meeting.
#5. Giving up too soon
We all know that some clients can be stubborn! But one of the first things you must learn is that in sales, if your client says no to your product, it doesn’t always really mean no.
So don’t give up too soon. Take a look at our other article on 7 hidden techniques for better sales closure.
#6. Talking too much
A very common error among sales reps in the making is thinking that the more you speak, the more likely you are to close the sale.
However, this implies certain risks:
Remember: quality over quantity. Keep calm! Instead of talking non-stop speak the right amount to encourage conversation and steer your the client to agree to purchase.
#7. Seeming shocked at closing a sale
“Yes!”, “Wow!”, “Really!?”. While your enthusiasm is touching, if you say one of those phrases in front of your client, it’ll make it seem that they’ve just made a completely unexpected decision. It’s the complete opposite of what you want to do.
Because when it comes to sales, you must make the client think that buying your product is the most logical and beneficial option for them to take. Why should they surprise you, the sales rep? The only surprising thing should be you not being able to close the sale! This is the message you need to get across to your client; a good product that sells itself.
And there you have it! Be sure to avoid these common errors so you never end up missing another sales opportunity!
