Recent research uncovered nearly 80 reasons why customers dislike salespeople. Nevertheless, sales is an honorable profession. Stand out from your competition by avoiding these seven bad behaviors.
1. Failure to listen. Because salespeople neglect to listen to what their customers or prospects say, they fail to address the key issues for their customers. I remember a particular interaction with a couple of salespeople several years ago where one of them asked some great questions to learn more about my particular situation. However, his counterpart did not listen to my responses, and as a result, his solution did not address my business challenges and buying requirements. In fact, his presentation was so far off-base, I abruptly ended the meeting. Time is a precious commodity for people and when you don’t listen, you disrespect your prospect.
2. Talking too much. Many salespeople continue to think telling is selling. It’s not. Actually, a prospect or customer should do most of the talking in a sales conversation. Salespeople react to this idea by asking, “If they’re doing all the talking, how can I sell my product?” Let your customers do enough talking so you can properly present a solution to their problem or situation.
3. Lack of knowledge. In today’s information-rich world, there is no reason for salespeople to lack knowledge about the products and services they sell. Recently, a person was not only able to give me an estimate on a roof, but he knew his products and was able to speak intelligently about them and explain the differences between each. The life cycles of many products are very short and many companies introduce new products at an alarming rate. Failure to learn about your products will cost you a customer’s respect, and in all likelihood, the sale.
4. Lack of follow-up. Many salespeople say they will do something and fail to follow through. For instance, a potential customer asks for a particular piece of information and the salesperson promises to deliver it by a certain date. The deadline passes and the prospect has to call and remind the salesperson. Because the sale has not been finalized, warning signals sound in the customer’s mind. After all, if the salesperson is this slow to respond before the sale is made (the courting stage), how long will it take him or her to respond after the sale (the marriage)?
5. Lying. “I don’t care about the customer and I’ll tell them anything I have to in order to get the sale.” Believe it or not, I heard this comment from a participant in one of my sales training workshops. Unfortunately, the number of salespeople who lie or intentionally mislead their customers is staggering. This behavior includes: overstating the capabilities of a product, stretching the truth or providing incorrect information.
6. Inability to understand customer needs. This is an extension of the first two reasons customers dislike salespeople. When sales representatives talk too much and listen too little, they don’t get a full understanding of their prospect’s situation. I have worked and interacted with thousands of salespeople over the years, both as a trainer and a buyer, and I can state without hesitation that a mere 20 percent of them actually take the time to understand their customer’s needs, situation and concerns. And it is this group of individuals who are the most successful.
7. Refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer. Persistence is powerful. However, there is a fine line between persistence and stalking. While you shouldn’t drop your efforts after the first ‘no,’ it is critical to recognize nothing will be gained by pressuring people. In many cases, the reason someone says ‘no’ is because they don’t see the value in a product/service or because they are not a highly qualified prospect.
By Kelley Robertson
Kelley Robertson, author of “The Secrets of Power Selling,” helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs, contact him at (905) 633-7750 or e-mail Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com. © 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.