Sales are the face of any company. A sales representative is the face of the company. While approaching any prospective customer, you must always avoid a few questions that might hamper your sale. As a sales representative, you must listen. Listen to what are the needs of the customer, make it a point to understand his expectations from your product/service.
While you go ahead to chase the deal, make sure that you will research the company. Make sure that when you approach the decision-maker of the organization, you are well prepared and are open to listening. Any wrong or closed-ended question can derail the whole conversation and can also affect the sales deal. A few sales mistakes are a complete NO when selling your product/service;
Predictable: Are you one of those who ask questions like “Are you looking to invest in new software for billing? If yes then I can help you?” If so this approach is completely wrong for your business. Instead, offer to be a consultant for your client. Approach them with solutions rather than being hell-bent on only selling. Remember when a person trusts you they conduct business with you. Building trustworthy relation is an important part of the business.
Listen: Listening as we mentioned earlier is an important part of your selling process. Understand what solution you can offer the company you are approaching. Continuously speaking is the worst possible mistake you can make. Ask relevant questions during your pitch or call. Make a list of requirements the company is looking for. It is not important to close the sale in the same meet, you can conduct your research and get back to your customer base with solutions you can offer. Many prospects talk over the phone, so you can make a list of their requirement or record their call for reference. You can send an email once your meet or call is over so that the prospect can too remember the key points discussed. This way you open a better communication channel with them.
Know It All: When a prospect asks you a question that you are unsure of, be honest and tell them you shall update them. If you do not know about something do not offer solutions that can jeopardize your and your brand’s image. Any false information can lead them to take a wrong decision. If your team or company fail to live up to its expectation, then the whole deal can go down. To be well versed with your product, try using it so that you know the limitation and advantages of your product. Besides learning about your product/service, learn more about your company and the important sale metrics for your business.
Withholding Pricing: This is one of the gravest mistakes as a salesperson you can make. Pricing can make or break a deal. An entrepreneur is very clear about his pricing range, being clear about it helps you to know if the prospect is further interested. Withholding price until a point is okay to keep their interest piqued, but beyond a point, it’s a NO! You can give them subtle hints by using terms like ‘we have introduced affordable pricing’, ‘your competitor is using our service’, or ‘we have designed the product keeping in mind start-ups’.
Arguing: Never argue with your customer. Even if your prospect is wrong, if his opinion is not affecting your business or you, let it go. Your goal is to help and educate them. Arguing with them might just add more complexity to your relation. Be mindful of the matters you argue into, and choose your battles wisely to not affect your business.
Not Following Up: About 44 percent of sales reps give up on their prospect after one call or meet. It is important to make a follow-up and to remind them how your product/ service can be valuable to them. With automation, you can send them follow-up emails so that your prospect remembers you.
Staying mindful is one skill that any sales rep should have. This quality will help you achieve more in the long run. Make sure to learn from your mistakes and improve yourself in this journey of selling.
