The Ten Worst Mistakes In Selling

The Harvard Business Review revealed two staggering statistics in a recent study:

1. 56% of executives consider their sales forces “average, worse than normal or catastrophic”
2. 85% of salespeople wish they were doing something else

This poor performance and dissatisfaction comes from one source only: selling mistakes. I have often said that selling isn’t easy, but it is simple. In addition to mastering the fundamentals of selling, knowing what actions not to do – and not doing them – will take you to a new level of competence and success.

The bulk of what you read below comes from interviews I have done with hundreds of top producers from a variety of industries for my upcoming book, Superstar Sales Mavericks. From the knowledge and experience of these rainmakers, I have compiled the ten worst mistakes consistently made by salespeople around the country and what you can do to avoid them. Put these up in your office, avoid them like a bad stack of leads and watch your numbers rise.

Selling Mistake #10: Not being prepared
Preparation for selling means many things. It means learning the science of selling and knowing how to lead your prospect through each step of the selling process. It means practicing cold calling, leaving messages, handling objections and closing.

Equally important is researching your prospect’s company and the prospect (it’s always good to know personal details, interests and affiliations of the decision maker). Know what your objectives are for each call, have your materials ready to send out and handle the interaction with the confidence that only comes from preparation.

Selling Mistake #9: Poor questioning
Sales managers are more frustrated with this mistake than any other. Salespeople try selling to their prospects without the least idea of what their pain,

problems and trigger points are. To question well, you must dig down to both the professional and personal aspects affecting the decision.

Insightful, open-ended questions that hit the nerve of your prospect’s pain tell you how to sell to them. They tell you what to present, how to sell it most effectively and even give you the wording to speak your prospect’s language.

Selling Mistake #8: Selling too soon
When salespeople sell too early in the sales conversation, they annoy their prospects, waste their breath and lose the chance to increase the value of their sale. I am constantly training my clients to wait until they have built rapport and have gone through the questioning process before they begin to offer suggestions on how to help.

This approach not only builds trust and takes your prospect’s guard come down,
it helps you avoid objections down the line by building value in their eyes.

Selling Mistake #7: Losing control
How do you respond when, at the beginning of a sales call, your prospect asks, “How much does it cost?” If you’re like most salespeople, you tell them the price, they tell you they’ll think it over and the call is lost. The person asking the questions is in control of the call, and unless you are leading your prospect, they are driving the sales call.

There is a time for you to answer questions, and you should be the one to determine when this is. Your goal is to get your prospect talking – not asking. Stay in control of the conversation, and you will drive the sales call.

Selling Mistake #6: No support
The number of salespeople working in the field without sales training, regular sales meetings and continual skills development is shocking. Sales is a learned skill. Just as you wouldn’t want your doctor or mechanic to work for you without training, a salesperson should keep his tools sharpened.

This means learning a solid foundation in the fundamentals of selling, regularly discussing and role-playing the toughest parts of the process and working with a coach, manager or mentor who can help you continually improve.

Selling Mistake #5: Not asking for referrals
Nobody is better suited to send you referrals than your satisfied customers. Salespeople that neglect this rich source of potential new clients are shooting themselves in their feet.

The best time to ask your clients for referrals – to their clients, vendors, friends and associates – is immediately after working with them and exceeding their expectations. And to make your chances even better of getting qualified referrals, seek every opportunity you can get to give them away.

Selling Mistake #4: Talking too much
A friend of mine lost a deal recently because he kept talking after he had won the contract. Silence is one of the hardest things for salespeople – the most

extroverted group of professionals – to master. Knowing when to stop talking and listen can do you more good than anything that will come out of your mouth.

If you know you should let the prospect talk but can’t handle the uncomfortable silence, write more notes or have a long drink of water. It’s in the extended silences of a sales call where deals are won.

Selling Mistake #3: Giving up
48% of salespeople give up after a single rejection. After five rejections, 95% have given up on their prospects. Sales is a tough profession, and the most successful sellers are the ones that handle the inevitable no’s and don’t take them personally.

Know that each “no” you hear gets you closer to a yes. And if you do regular post-mortems on missed deals, every one becomes a learning opportunity.

Selling Mistake #2: Not asking for the business
No matter how good a salesperson is at building relationships, questioning, presenting and handling objections, if they don’t ask for the business, someone else will get it. Being great at sales requires both empathy (caring for people) and ego (the drive to close the deal).

The better you conduct the sales conversation, the more likely it is that you will win the deal. Be prepared to close, know how you will ask for the business, practice it and when it’s time to get the contract, ask for it.

Selling Mistake #1: Not making enough sales calls
Despite the importance of avoiding the above mistakes, nothing is more damning to a salesperson than the reluctance to pick up the phone (or get in the car) and make sales calls. One of the oldest sayings about sales is that it is a numbers game. Those who get this and make a volume of calls month after month become the top producers.

Address whatever mental blocks you have that prevent you from doing the hard work of sales. Make the calls, learn from the no’s and avoid the single worst mistake made by salespeople.

Good luck, and good selling.

-----------------------------------------------