Anyone who’s ever sold anything – whether toothbrushes, printers, or stocks – can tell you a story about “the one that got away”. You know that story – the sale you were this close to closing – the one that would’ve made your year -only to have your potential client interrupted by an all too familiar distraction.
If you’ve ever sold, you also know if you had changed just one thing – your story might have ended up a lot differently.
In 2011, don’t fall victim to these sales killers. Avoiding these 10 things will get you more sales so hopefully, you have a lot less of “those stories” to tell.
Sales Killer #1 – Lack of professional appearance. If you want people to listen to you and heed your advice regarding your product or service, you have to come across both in appearance and demeanor as a professional expert. This includes grooming and the level of confidence you exude. People will buy from you based more on your conviction and enthusiasm for your product than they will your product knowledge.
Sales Killer #2 – Talking too much. When you’re talking, you’re telling. When you ask questions to get clients talking about their needs, you’re selling. You’re finding out what they want to own. Only then can you guide them to the right product or service.
Sales Killer #3 – Your vocabulary. Words create pictures in our minds. Certain words that are inherent to selling turn people off. For example, I caution people in business to avoid using the word “contract” when handling the details of a large sale. We all know that contracts are legally binding documents and require legal efforts to get out of them. If appropriate, call your contract an “agreement,” “form,” or “paperwork.” The mental image is less threatening. Think about other words you use and replace any negative word-picture images with gentler, more positive ones.
Sales Killer #4 – Not investing time in building rapport. Establishing good rapport builds trust. No one will want to make a purchase from someone they don’t like and trust. Don’t just jump right into a presentation on your product. Get to know your client a bit.
Sales Killer #5 – Lack of a qualification system. A certain percentage of the people you talk with will not be good candidates for your product or service. Your challenge is to figure this out as early in your communication with them as possible. Come up with at least 3 or 4 questions the answers to which will tell you if they’re qualified to own your offering.
Sales Killer #6 – Not knowing when to stop presenting and close the sale. Too many salespeople think they have to tell potential clients everything they know about the product. Even after a client has indicated that the product is right for them, the salesperson keeps talking. Doing so could easily turn the client off about working with you and cost you the sale.
Sales Killer #7 – Ego. Selling is a service business. You must set aside your wants and needs to serve the wants and needs of others. Get the dollar signs out of your eyes when you’re with clients. If they suspect you’re pushing the sale because of what’s in it for you instead of what’s in their best interests, they’ll find another salesperson to do business with.
Sales Killer #8 – Not knowing how to close. In many cases, all you have to do is ask a direct question in order to close a sale.
“If I have the red one you mentioned, do you want to take it with you today or shall I ship it to you?”
“Will you be making your purchase today by cash, check or credit card?”
Of course there are many other ways to close. The point is that you need to actually do it. Never assume the sale without specifically asking for their business.
Sales Killer #9 – Not paying attention to details. If you skim over details or shortcut your presentation because you’ve done it so many times that you’re bored with it, you’ll lose sales. Remember, every presentation is new to your client. So give it with enthusiasm and without shortcuts unless your client indicates that certain details you would normally cover aren’t of interest to them. This carries over to your paperwork and ability to handle a computer (if your orders are entered that way). Any missing information can cause clients to quickly lose faith in their decision to buy from you.
Sales Killer #10 – Poor fulfillment. This ties into paying attention to details. If you or your company does not have the practices and policies in place to properly fulfill the expectations of your clients, you will work harder and harder to get new business. Invest some time and effort in knowing all aspects of product or service delivery to your clients. You should not promise anything above or beyond the company standard. Everyone should be expected to meet or exceed it.
When the sales killers are avoided, you can achieve sales acceptance faster and will build your business through referrals.
