Financial problems are one of the primary reasons almost 50% of businesses fail within 5 years. With insufficient funds coming in, it’s only a matter of time before you’re forced to close your doors!
That’s why your sales team’s so important. With a crack team of people selling your products and services, your chance of success increases exponentially. Unfortunately, a host of unnecessary mistakes often gets in the way.
Do you want to avoid this fate? Check out these 5 common salesperson mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Talking Too Much
Contrary to popular belief, the secret to sales isn’t having the gift of the gab. It’s listening! By keeping quiet and listening to what a prospect needs, you can tailor your approach to find a solution that solves their problem.
So, keep your talk-to-listen ratio in check at all times when meeting with clients. A rough 40/60 (talking/listening) split should do the trick.
2. Having a Substandard Script
Many sales teams leverage a script to boost their sales. This is a sensible strategy, but only if the script itself is good enough!
Make sure your cold calling script template contains all the essential elements for success. Introduce yourself, explain why the would-be buyer should keep listening, gain credibility via a referral statement from someone they know, and request a little extra time to explain the product/service.
3. Lying
There’s a reason salespeople have a bad reputation in popular society! For too long, execs in the industry stretched the truth to make the sale.
Needless to say, success in today’s world relies on different sales techniques. Use the opposite approach. Integrity and trust are everything, so be truthful and forthright about what you can (and can’t) do for prospects.
4. Forgetting to Follow-Up
Your prospects live busy lives, with hectic schedules and full inboxes. As a result, they may not respond to your initial sales pitch ideas and inquiries.
That’s where the follow-up comes into play. It’s imperative that you get back in touch with your leads (and don’t wait too long to do it!). This will prevent them from going cold and boost the chance of conversion in the process.
5. Complex Email Outreach
Another common mistake made by salespeople relates to outreach emails. They’re either too long or too complicated! The worst emails are both.
Trust us, everything from your CTR to your CR and the number of responses you get will increase if you keep emails short and simple. Remember, people are busy- they don’t have the time or inclination to spend forever sifting through anything else! Skip the fancy language and aim to write at a third-grade level instead.
Avoid These Common Salesperson Mistakes
Sales teams have a vital role to play in the pursuit of business success. Sadly, many of them fall short as a result of simple errors they make along the way!
We hope the insights in this post will stop your team from doing the same. Keep these common salesperson mistakes in mind and you should be one step closer to winning the business you need to succeed.
Browse the “Business” section of the website to learn more about this key topic!
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