2nd of Three posts on "How Salespeople BLOW Sales!"

This is the 2nd of three posts on how salespeople BLOW sales everyday. It is amazing that some of thiss stuff stilll happens but I am sure you would be surprised that it happens more than you would think. Make sure YOU are not doing these things!

4. They do not LISTEN to the customer.
The customer has all of the answers as to why they want to buy. One major problem, however, is that most people (prospects and customers included) do not volunteer information all of the time. Therefore, it is naturally incumbent upon our salespeople to ask solid questions to pull information (answers that we seek) from our prospects and customers. Throughout this give and take process, I have witnessed salespeople merely going through the motions of list
ening. They sit still, nod, and look introspective as the customer speaks. When the customer finishes, they either proceed to ask another question-not necessarily connected to the previous one, not taking into account the answer that has been given and “the door that has been open to go deeper.”
Many sales are created, many accounts are opened, and many careers are built upon one small piece of information that may come up at one precise moment in all of the various conversations and sales interactions between a salesperson and the prospective buyer. We need to be on high receive at all times in order to key in on the information that may be the “tipping point” for our hard work.

5. They try to sell to someone who cannot buy!
Qualification of the prospect is one of the top priorities of sales professionals. Too often, salespeople get through many stages of the sales cycle with one or two members of the prospect company. By making this progress, they feel that they are moving the deal forward only to discover that the person or persons that they have been dealing with all along are not the decision makers and have very little, if any, true influence on the decision. All of their correspondence, all of their time, all of their efforts, and their proposal has been geared toward the wrong people.
It is absolutely imperative that we qualify early and often in our sales cycle and listen for clues along the way. In addition, asking about the buying decision throughout the process will help you gain clarity on not only who is involved, but also who makes the final “stroke of the pen.”

6. They bring NOTHING of value to the table.
Salespeople today need to understand that simply being there to take the order is no longer enough. Anybody can do that! A true sales professional in today’s marketplace needs to become a valuable asset to the customer by adding value at every opportunity. A salesperson needs to be “in the know.” They need to offer guidance, wisdom, and ideas to the customer. They need to know the customer’s marketplace as well or better than they do.
Whether it is through suggesting the occasional article, referring a piece of business, assisting in the training of customer employees, or simply grinding out a late night next to the customer, the sales professional must understand that the value that they add must create the perception of difference in the mind of the customer such that a premium will be paid and the loyalty of a relationship will result. It is the difference between being a vendor and being an advisor. It is the difference between being a choice or being the choice!