No matter how good the members of your sales team are, they’re still prone to mistakes. That goes for new hires as well as seasoned pros.
Here are five common errors that can harm your company’s ability to sell products and services, and ways to avoid them.
Being unprepared
How many salespeople have a written outline of what they expect to achieve on a sales call? Many simply walk in a prospect’s office, plop into a comfortable chair and ask, “What is it you need today?”
If the prospect knew the answer, he or she could simply grab the Yellow Pages, make a call and fill the void.
Salespeople must know how to apply their knowledge of what they sell to the benefit of the prospect. They should spend time understanding the real needs and wants of prospects before they blindly call. To mine that information, they should try:
- The Internet
- Prospect’s annual reports
- Prospect’s industry trade journals and buyers guides
- Noncompeting salespeople who sell the prospect now
- Any records within your company pertaining to the prospect
- The library
- Prospect’s competitors
- Business publications, such as SBN.
Using a generic (or no) presentation
This is a direct result of problem No. 1. Presentations can be dynamite selling tools if they address issues near and dear to the prospect. If the salespeople know little or nothing about a prospect’s needs, then they can’t give a dynamite presentation.
Reading too many “Relationship Selling” books
Building positive relationships with customers is a good thing. However, people don’t become lifelong pals after one or two sales calls. Pushing the issue too quickly to “buddy up” may cause some to back off instead. In some firms, there are strict rules against accepting even a lunch from vendors.
Good business relationships develop slowly and are based upon mutual respect. Keep initial sales calls cordial but professional. Develop a good relationship by giving your customers the very best service possible. Being attentive to customer’s needs so they see you as a dependable problem solver is one of the best ways to develop a long-term business relationship.
Not listening
A major weakness for many salespeople is that they simply talk too much. When you talk, you are not listening and learning about your prospect’s wants and needs. Good salespeople should talk no more that 30 percent of the time.
They also should learn the art of asking open-ended questions to keep the information flowing.
Failing to take care of established customers
The best resource for new business is a referral from a satisfied customer. Some salespeople enjoy the chase of obtaining new accounts so much they tend to ignore their established business.
One of the most powerful marketing tools today is good customer service. Customers with problems will tend to call their salesperson when things go wrong. That’s often the person they feel most connected with.
Never allow customers to be treated as poor relatives looking for a handout. They are your company’s most valuable assets.
And remember, your best customers are your competitor’s best prospects.
Ted Tate ([email protected]) is a Mentor-based sales trainer and president of Tate & Associates. He works with business owners to help improve sales results. Tate is the author of “Just Sell It,” and can be reached at (440) 257-7520.
