The 10 Mistakes That Only Amateur Salespeople Make
Most salespeople think that they’re pretty good at their job. Being confident is part of the salesperson’s character, so none of us want to admit that we’re anything but professionals. But in reality, very few people excel at sales naturally – most of us learn to become great by doing and learning from our mistakes.
An AI-powered sales automation CRM, like Spiro, can definitely help you make more money in sales by telling you who to call, setting reminders, and creating forecasts. Still, all of the confidence in the world can’t help you if you’re making mistakes like an amateur. Here are ten mistakes to avoid if you want to be the best:
1. Don’t set daily goals
Setting daily goals in addition to long-term ones is essential to success. If you don’t have a path to accomplishing the small things, you’ll never accomplish the big ones.
2. Think sales is easy
Everyone thinks sales is an easy way to make a lot of money. Sometimes it’s simple, but it’s almost never easy. Salespeople need to work their asses off to succeed, and just because some of them make it look effortless doesn’t mean anyone can do it.
3. Talk more than they listen
This is probably the biggest amateur sales mistake out there. Sales professionals listen intently to their customers, while sales amateurs can’t wait until it’s their turn to talk. Learn this lesson quickly unless you want to look for another career.
4. Rest when they’re successful
It’s ok to celebrate closing a big deal, but don’t stop and bask in your own glory for too long: you need to refill your pipeline constantly to succeed. Always be working on getting more deals into the top of the funnel if you want more out of the bottom.
5. Try too hard to build rapport
Customers are reluctant to get too friendly with salespeople, even though some salespeople try everything under the sun. Amateur salespeople come on too strong, or try too hard, instead of simply trying to identify a customer’s problem and solving it.
6. Let their failures affect them
Never let your highs get you too high, or your lows get you too low. Rejection and failure is a part of life in sales, so don’t let it affect your performance for too long. And if you need a little motivation as you make calls and send emails, try Spiro.
7. Think an objection is permanent
The biggest difference between a professional salesperson and an amateur is the ability to not only recognize, but also push through an objection. Amateur salespeople will give up at the first sign of trouble, while pros know that’s where the sale starts.
8. Think all customers are created equal
Expert salespeople know their time is a precious resource, and don’t waste it with customers who are unqualified or have no intention of doing business. Being able to tell the difference between prospects will make the difference between amateur and pro.
9. Believe a deal is closed before it is
Most amateur salespeople quickly realize that a deal isn’t a deal until it’s signed, sealed, delivered, cashed, and past the refund date. If you still count your deals before they’re finalized and you’ve been in sales for a while, you’re still an amateur.
10. Don’t focus on adding value
As a salesperson, your only goal is to add value for your customer. Amateur salespeople focus on convincing, instead of helping. Once you’ve made the paradigm shift in your mind, the world of sales will open up to you. Add value, and stop being an amateur.
Editor’s note: This blog was originally posted on June 30, 2016 and has been updated.
