The 7 Deadly Sales Sins
In business, sales can cure almost any problem. The same is true for salespeople. Top sales reps get significantly better treatment, flexibility, and (most importantly) higher pay than their unsuccessful counterparts.
While many of the best salespeople in the world have different approaches to their profession, what they all have in common is that they don’t commit any of the Seven Deadly Sales Sins.
Spiro’s AI-Powered sales automated CRM was designed to help you close more deals and make more money, but it’s up to you to avoid these 7 sales sins.
1. Making a friend instead of a sale
Salespeople usually want to be well-liked and assume that it’s the most important part of their interaction with a customer. It is of course important to not be disliked, but too many salespeople focus on becoming a prospect’s friend instead of closing a deal. It’s important to focus on the best prospects, not the prospects that like you best.
2. Talking
Probably the biggest sin committed by the most salespeople, talking instead of listening is practically an epidemic among salespeople. Why is silence so difficult for so many salespeople to tolerate, even for a few seconds? When a customer talks, they give you all of the clues you need to close the sale. Just stop talking and letthem tell you their problem so that you can solve it for them.
3. Selling the features instead of the benefits
Another common and deadly sales sin, the key to a successful close is to articulate how your product will help the customer or solve their problem instead of simply listing the features of your product.
By building up the benefits that a customer can expect, you create value in their mind which leads to a buying decision rather than reciting an instruction manual.
4. Assuming
Never assume anything in sales. Don’t assume that the customer doesn’t have enough money to afford your product, but also don’t assume that they do. Don’t assume that a deal is finalized before the money is deposited, and don’t assume that a “no” means no. Take the time to learn about the customer before jumping to conclusions. Assuming is one of the deadly sales sins.
5. Giving up too early
Salespeople need to take rejection in stride, and push through adversity to close a deal. If being a successful salesperson was easy, then everyone would be doing it and making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Giving up too early with a prospect is a guaranteed way to fail. Prospect aggressively, follow-up religiously, overcome objections competently and don’t give up!
6. Not selling to the decision maker
Whether you’re in B2B or B2C sales, if you’re not presenting to the decision maker, or with the decision maker present, you’re probably wasting your time. Part of any sales process involves qualifying and identifying who has the power to make buying decisions, but many salespeople seem to skip this part of the process which means they’re committing a sales sin.
7. Not asking for the sale
Everyone has worked with that one salesperson who builds wonderful rapport, goes through an entire presentation and then lets the customer go on their merry way without every asking for the business. What is the point in going through the trouble of pitching customers if you aren’t going to ask them to do business? Stop committing this sales sin and always ask for the sale.
