7 Mistakes Salespeople Make Notoriously
December is a good time for summaries. A new year is around the corner - one where we see chances for new clients and new opportunities to win sales. As we all know, however, the same methods will not bring new results. As a salesperson, do you analyze your actions, look for the causes of failures and for solutions to make your sales work more effective? The end of the year is a good moment to reflect on it.
Below is a list of 7 mistakes salespeople make frequently - ones that, from our observations and those of Sellizer users, effectively push the sales plan out of reach. Do you notice any of them in yourself?
1. Coming to a meeting or call unprepared
The first contact with a potential client - how do you prepare for this crucial conversation? You surely want to make a good impression with the product or service you sell, so you spend a lot of time studying its features. But do not pick up the phone until you have done proper research on the person you are calling.
Check the company website and use LinkedIn to better understand how you can help and what value your product or service can bring. During the call, ask questions and note down the key information - you will use it in further conversations, and there is nothing worse than asking the same questions twice.
2. Not knowing or understanding the client's needs
Winging it because you believe your product is so good everyone would want it? Trying to sell without knowing the potential client's needs will be perceived as pushy peddling and will end exactly the opposite of what you expect. Remember: we do not buy for the sake of owning - we buy to solve a problem.
The client is interested in your product because they want to achieve something with it, and they measure its value by exactly that. That is why a conversation or meeting should not be dominated by a dry presentation of the offer, but by discussing it in the context of the client's specific problems. Be an advisor: ask, propose solutions, and show the benefits they can achieve.
3. Poor listening skills
Do you know the saying listen twice as much as you speak? Put it into practice right away if you sell for a living. A conversation dominated by your monologue will be completely worthless to the client - above all because both sides must get to know and understand each other to reach an agreement.
So do not be afraid to ask questions - the more specific, the better. Ask about the client's problem and needs, learn how they work. Let them speak and focus on listening carefully and reacting, instead of only thinking about the next line of your script to close the sale. Your interlocutor must feel that you are fully present in the conversation.
4. Making promises impossible to keep
Trust is hard to earn and can be lost in an instant. In sales, that instant may come when your client finds out you cannot keep the promises made during the conversation - the very promises that convinced them to accept your offer.
Before you head to a client meeting, make sure you know the product or service inside out - from features, through pricing, to contract terms. If a client catches you off guard with a question, do not be afraid to tell the truth. Admit you are not one hundred percent sure, so you will consult a specialist and come back with an answer as soon as possible - it shows honesty and commitment. Do not invent answers on the spot just because they are what the client wants to hear, or because you see them hesitating and want to keep them. The truth that the purchased product is not what was originally promised will surface very quickly and will damage the reputation of the salesperson and the whole company.
5. Not speaking the language of benefits
Knowing your product like the back of your hand is an absolute must and a given. You can list all the features and modules without blinking, but from the client's perspective it is - unfortunately - hardly relevant. Original-sounding names and specialist vocabulary do not answer their main questions: how can this help me / what's in it for me?
Before you start the presentation, learn what problems your potential client struggles with. Then tell them about your offer from their perspective, following the feature-benefit pattern. The client must see the value and the real application of the product in their own world.
6. Taking the client's refusal personally
Even if you believe in your product with all your heart and consider it the best on the market, some people will not share your enthusiasm. A no is business as usual in sales, and a frequent mistake - especially among beginners - is taking that refusal personally.
Dwelling on failures in too much detail does enormous harm to your well-being and mental health, and above all to your career in this profession. Treat every such situation as a valuable lesson, draw conclusions, and move forward without constantly returning to it and blaming yourself.
7. Acting on (false) assumptions
This client will surely not be interested in my product, our offer will certainly not meet their needs, thought the salesperson - losing two chances for a sale before they even began. Never compare your potential clients - each is different and has individual needs. Do not assume upfront that they will not be interested and that contacting them makes no sense.
Acting on unfounded assumptions is a mistake that is hard to excuse. First things first: a conversation, getting to know the client, and asking about problems and needs. Only on that basis decide whether you have a chance to win the client or whether your paths part ways.