Sales is a funny game. Most people start selling their products and services without the faintest idea how to do so. As a result, they often make common mistakes that get in the way of the buying process.
This article by Katy Caprino in Forbes magazine provides 10 common mistakes taken from the book The Sandler Rules. Here’s a snippet:
Rule #15 Thinking that your sales “presentation” will seal the deal.
You should always be helping the prospect discover the best reason to buy from you – not telling them why they should. The prospect should know that they’ll be buying from you long before you present your final pitch of proposal.
Rule #14 Talking too much
One of the oldest Sandler philosophies is the 70/30 rule. So often and especially in the beginning of a relationship, salespeople think they need to be doing all the talking, when they should be listening and asking questions.
Rule #44 Being your own worst enemy
Never blame the prospect for stalling the process. Instead, look inward. It’s the job of sales people to assure the prospect and address detours.
You can read the full article here.
Being aware of the common mistakes made by salespeople will help us improve our effectiveness and success rate while avoiding the pitfalls. If you focus on the customer and figure out how you can solve their problems, you’ll be off on the right foot.
Let me know what you think after reading the full article. Do you think it’s okay to be give tonnes of free value in an attempt to close a deal? Where do you draw the line between giving free products and service and closing the sale? Tell me in the box below.
Leave a Reply