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Are your salespeople sabotaging your business?
If a salesperson does not have the right sales skills, they can potentially talk a customer out of a sale.
Here are seven signs that could stand in the way of a sale:
1. You get objections.
Objections mean that during the conversation you did not give them an opportunity to bring up what are important points for HIM, or that you did not listen when they tried to get more details about certain aspects. Simply stop talking and start listening.
2. You follow your own agenda, rather than theirs.
Follow them. If answers to your questions point in a different direction, follow them.
3. You will be asked for your CV or a testimonial.
This means selling yourself, rather than solving their problems.
4. You have a success score ('closing rate') of less than 50%.
If customers agree to see you after filling in a questionnaire or after half an hour on the phone and more, it is clear they are interested - but you lose them as soon as you actually meet them.
5. You lose customers
You lose customers within the first three to six months of getting them. There can be many reasons for this, but ultimately it is because they are not getting the results they expected.
6. You think your impeding thoughts are real.
"I need to know more! I don't have enough experience. I need to be more! " you say to yourself. You don't win a marathon - or a client - by being more. You win by training more, running more and working harder.
7. You stop following up too soon
After two or three times you give up. Most customers only buy after at least five contacts and as long as they don't clearly say 'no', you can feel free to keep approaching them. The persistent often wins.
A good salesperson makes a difference
Especially in this day and age, it is crucial to build an excellent sales force. Customers know what they want and, thanks in part to the internet, are well-informed and will not settle for less.
Precisely because almost everything can be bought everywhere, a good salesperson can make all the difference. With tact, the right questions and good listening, a potential customer can be guided to the right solution for their needs.
Being skilled at dealing with objections without being the 'pushy' salesperson is a skill that can be learnt where lots of practice and honing is crucial.
How we help
ActionCOACH can help optimise your sales process, can train you and your team in the right 'mind set' and skills to sell professionally and successfully.
Kurt Vervloet
Kurt Vervloet is a business coach, blogger and speaker. Since 2017, he has been coaching businesses around the world, ranging from solo entrepreneurs, SME companies to executive management teams at large organisations. His clients choose to work with him because of my proven, no-nonsense approach to optimising and scaling businesses. By achieving great results with his clients, he has already been rewarded with several Awards.
