The 7 Biggest Mistakes in Sales

The old ways of selling are changing and require all sales people to think differently. Here are 7 essential selling principles that most sales people and sales organisations either get wrong or don’t implement:

Not selling the solution

Sales people spend too much time on the offer rather than assuring the buyer that the product will solve the problem, resulting in presentations that are lengthy and irrelevant. Focus on how your product and the company can solve the three most critical problems your client has.

Too dependent on the “sales presentation”

Sales people can focus too much on the minutiae of a presentation and so miss the vital buying signals. Another mistake is to make the presentation too long, so break it into five stages and at the end of each stage, ask if the prospect needs to see more to make a decision. Interact with your audience.

Believing price will solve your client’s problem

Your buyer may seem obsessed with price, demand your lowest price and claim the budget cannot be violated. Despite all this, every one of them will pay a higher price.

Waiting until the end of the presentation to share the price

Sales people are taught to build value, then show the price. This results in a buyer who may be intrigued by the product but is wondering throughout the presentation “How much?” Initiate price close to the start. The customer may say that it is too high, at which point you explain that you are going to show them what the product can do and why it’s the best available.

Ignoring influencers

Find out who will influence the decision, as well as the main decision-maker. The influencers may swing the deal.

Using a free trial to close a deal

Free trials without some timeline and commitment to invest money and energy, almost never work and become cash flow problems for the company that offers them.

Not practicing urgency

Some sales people delaying pushing to close a deal for fear of being pushy. Your sales team should train and drill on how to press without being unprofessional or appearing to pressure.

Do you have sales tips to share?

Adapted from an article by Grant Cardone, entrepreneur.com