Free success tips for sales managers

In my many years of training, I've noticed certain selling mistakes committed repeatedly, by both veteran salespeople as well as new hires. Here's five of the biggest.

1. Unprepared
How many salespeople have a written outline of what they expect to achieve on a sales call? Many simply walk in a prospect's office, and ask, "What is it you need today?" If the prospect knew the answer he or she would get the yellow pages out and buy some! Spend time on understanding the real needs and wants of prospects before sales calls. If that means doing some research at the library or on the internet then consider that time spent as an investment in your success

2. No formal sales presentation
Never assume people understand what you sell so you need not bother to explain it. Some salespeople forget that many prospects only have a surface understanding of what they sell, yet may be embarrassed to let the salesperson know. A good sales presentation simply covers the bases and guarantees prospects know all the benefits and how they help the prospects. 

Presentations can be dynamite selling tools if they address issues near and dear to the prospect. Of course if the salespeople know little or nothing about a prospects needs then they can't give a dynamite presentation, can they?

A good sales presentation is not "canned" or "memorized" so the salesperson sounds like a parrot. It is however an explanation of what you sell, presented in an orderly fashion, in plain talk, so prospects can easily not only understand what you sell but also why they should buy. 

3. Reading too many "Relationship Selling" books.
I'm for building positive relationships with customers, however, people don't become lifelong pals after one or two sales calls. Pushing the issue too quickly to "buddy up" may cause some people to back off instead.

Another difficulty is when salespeople spend too much time with non-selling conversation about personal matters, sports, family, the list is endless. Always remember your customers are in the middle of doing a job that feeds their family and are expected to produce results, taking too much time with small talk or hanging out at a customers business breeds resentment. Be respectful of other people's time.

Good business relationships develop slowly based upon mutual respect. Keep initial sales calls cordial but professional. Being attentive to customer's needs so they see you as a dependable problem solver is one of the best ways to develop a long term business relationship.

4. Not listening
Some salespeople simply talk too much! When you are talking you are not listening, not learning about your prospects wants and needs. A good salesperson should talk no more that 30% of the time, the prospect 70%. The more they speak, the more information you gain about how to best serve them. Salespeople also must understand the art of asking open ended questions to keep the information flowing.

5. Not taking care of established customers.
Some salespeople enjoy the chase of obtaining new accounts so much they tend to ignore their established business. One of the most powerful marketing tools today is good customer service. Never allow customers to be treated as poor relatives looking for a handout. They are your most valuable asset.

Remember, your best customers are your competitor's best prospects!  Good luck and good selling!