One of the common mistakes in the work of managers is the inability to formulate needs. You can convince the client that your product is the best. But if the seller does not prove that the buyer really needs him, the deal will not take place. To avoid failure, use the SPIN selling technique.
How to check whether managers have a problem with creating a client’s need?
- Do not use SPIN sales,
- Give up when faced with competitors
- They hang up and don’t formulate a need if the client immediately refuses to buy,
- They are waiting for a hot buyer.
To change the situation, implement SPIN technology. It helps identify the customer's needs and convince them that your product will solve their problems. This technology dispels the client's doubts.
Neil Rackham wrote in detail about SPIN sales in his book of the same name. He conducted extensive research on the effectiveness of sales departments: he studied the transaction market for 12 years, analyzed more than 35,000 meetings, and summarized the experience of entrepreneurs from 23 countries. He was able to develop an effective technique that includes descriptions of sales behavior, techniques and strategies of the best companies.
How does the SPIN technique work?
The analysis showed that the best sellers not only convincingly tell and offer their product, but also know how to create a desire to buy it. The secret is simple - they ask the right questions in a certain sequence. The SPIN technique helps guide the buyer through all stages and ultimately win him. There are 5 stages of SPIN sales that you have to go through:
Recognizing a need- this is the first stage of making a purchase, at which customers realize that the current situation does not suit them and they have a desire to change it. The buyer considers whether something is really worth changing, whether there is a problem, and whether it deserves his attention. With the help of SPIN sales, the manager will be able to see the problem, develop the client’s dissatisfaction with the current situation and offer his help. SPIN sales suggests starting any conversation not with an offer, but simply with a conversation about current affairs. It is important to identify both hidden and surface needs.Evaluation of options- criteria for comparing offers on the market are determined and a choice is made in favor of 2-3 options. The manager needs to understand on what criteria the client will make a decision and pay special attention to them. SPIN helps you highlight your advantages over your competitors.
Resolving doubts. The manager must cope with the client's doubts and objections. The main mistake is to do nothing and just wait for the client’s decision. You should not be passive - you need to ask questions in order to dispel all doubts with your answers.
Decision-making- after receiving answers to all questions, the client chooses you.
Implementation- the fact of purchase and building further relationships.
What questions should you ask?
Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff Questions - this is how the SPIN sales technology stands for. The task of the technique is to guide the client from simple to complex in negotiations. Let's consider the following questions:
Situational- needed to obtain information, facts to determine hidden needs. Example:
- What is your situation?
- How many employees do you have?
- Who are you buying from now?
Problematic- associated with information about problems, difficulties, dissatisfaction. The task is to plunge a person into “pain”, to predict where problems might be after a certain period of time. It is advisable to find 2-3 problems. Example:
- Are there any difficulties?
- What would you like more?
- What are you missing?
- How might this affect the company as a whole?
- How much money are you losing by not solving this problem?
- What will this lead to if you do nothing?
- How will this affect your reputation?
- Tell me, what will happen if it works?
- What if your question is resolved?
- What results will you be able to achieve?
- What prospects might open up?
- Example of using SPIN sales
Let's look at an option for successful negotiations on purchasing software using SPIN technology:
Salesperson: What software are you currently using?
Buyer: We use the company's productX.
Below are the most common typical sales mistakes, which are carried out by managers in the sales of complex industrial equipment and, for example, by sales consultants in a communication store or a spare parts store. In most companies, to improve sales, it is enough to take a closer look at your salespeople and work with them on their mistakes in sales by eliminating ineffective behavior patterns.
Sales mistakes #1 - They don’t know what they’re selling.
For successful sales in a company, sellers must know the product they are selling; this is the ABC of sales. What are the technical characteristics of this mega-expensive piece of iron that your company sells, how much it weighs and how long it is, how much diesel fuel it consumes, and how quickly it can pump 100 tons of oil through that rusty pipe.
If the seller has learned all the characteristics of the turbine or machine that he is selling, then this, of course, will give him more confidence in negotiations with the client, but it will not help much in sales, because in order for the client to buy, he must first understand how he can do this use your wonderful gadget to solve your specific painful problem.
He needs to know how this piece of hardware, software or audit, that is, what your managers are selling, will help solve a problem in his company, in other words, to know what you are selling is, first of all, to know the client’s business and how your piece of hardware can help his business reduce costs or earn more money, or attract more customers. He doesn’t need the hardware, software or audit itself.
Sales Mistakes #2 - Not Selling Yourself
There were such golden times when the seller had a product that no one else had. Unfortunately, such times are long gone (you may be surprised, but even Gazprom has competitors).
What you sell, the client can buy in a hundred other places, and the Internet can help him with this. The mistake of a sales manager is that he immediately starts selling his product or his company, although first of all he needs to sell himself, sell his status as an expert, and only then the product.
It is necessary to show the client that the seller is an expert who understands the client's business, understands his problems and knows how to solve them.
Only after the potential buyer has made sure that this manager is the person who has the necessary experience and knowledge in solving problems similar to the client’s problem and can really help him, only after that can he proceed to selling his product, not earlier.
Sales Mistakes #3 - Wanting to be Right
Quite often, managers very zealously defend their position, proving to the client which of the two is right and which is wrong. Usually such a dialogue turns into confrontation and then into the failure of this sale.
There is no need to argue with the client, trying to convince him, remake him for himself and prove that he is right. What is needed is a sale, not a medal “I’m (your manager’s full name) right here!” Therefore, you just need to agree that the client has the right to his own opinion, and move forward with him towards a common goal - solving the client’s problem by purchasing your product or service.
Sales Mistakes #4 - Skip the research stage and go straight to selling
The most common sales mistake most sellers make is to start selling right away. Such a salesman is always ready for a fight and, upon seeing a client, immediately attacks him with his stunning offers.
This mistake in sales lies in the fact that the stage of identifying needs is skipped and the transition immediately goes to the presentation of benefits that the manager forgot to ask about at the beginning of the conversation and therefore has little idea of what the benefits of this particular client actually are. Therefore, such a manager runs a high risk of failing the sale and usually has problems fulfilling the sales plan in the company.
Sales mistakes No. 5 - Talking to just anyone, just not the decision maker
It is a mistake in sales to sell to someone who has no money, to someone who does not manage the company’s money. These people are ready to listen to the manager and even be sincerely interested in what he is selling, but the problem is that they have no money.
Therefore, at the very beginning of the first communication with the client, and it does not matter whether it is a call or a face-to-face meeting, you need to find out whether he makes a decision to purchase your product or not, in other words, he is a decision maker or not.
Sales Mistakes No. 6 - Selling without an emotional component
Relying in today's sales only on the uniqueness of the product and the competitive advantages of your company, but this worked well before, now it will be a mistake in sales. You will ask why?
By and large, there are no monopolists left in the market, regardless of what your company sells, and you definitely have competitors. And all these competitors and your manager, they all say approximately the same words to the client, declare to him the same advantages of working with them (which, by the way, may not actually exist in reality, but the client will find out about it later , when he buys and tries their “service” on his own skin).
So, there is approximately the same product that can be bought in different places, there is a set of approximately identical competitive advantages that both you and your competitors declare, and there is a slightly confused client who needs to choose one from a list of identical companies to make their purchase.
Help the client choose yours from 10 companies that are identical in his subjective opinion. To do this, add emotions, positivity, drive to your sales, make the sale emotional (just don’t overdo it).
Emotional selling by your manager will color that black and white picture - the idea of your company in the client’s head - into bright, saturated colors, this will allow the client, among a series of 10-20 identical company pictures, to choose one bright color picture - your company.
Sales Mistakes No. 7 - They talk a lot and listen little.
When the sales manager says more than the client, this is a mistake. With each new word, the seller has more and more chances of not guessing what the client needs or stepping on his sore spot and thereby failing the sale.
Your salesperson will have a much better opportunity to make a good offer and sell your product or service if the customer does more of the talking, rather than your salesperson. And if the manager asks the right questions and knows how to listen to the answers, then the client himself will tell you why he needs to buy, the seller will only have to repeat these benefits and get money from the client.
Sales Mistakes #8 - Not preparing for the meeting
According to statistics, only 19% of salespeople prepare in advance for an upcoming meeting with a client. They collect information about the company’s business and its decision-makers, they know the problems of the industry of the client they are targeting to sell to.
81% of the remaining sellers do not do this, making a mistake in their sales, which for their company turns into low sales from month to month, and for the seller himself into a modest existence on a bare fixed income without interest.
Sales Mistakes #9 - Not meeting expectations
The formula is very simple. CLIENT EXPECTATIONS minus CLIENT PERCEPTION equals CLIENT SATISFACTION.
This means that whether the client will be satisfied or not depends not on how you actually did it, but on the picture that the client drew in his head of how it should be (and you actively helped him with this during the sale) and how much this picture coincided with what he actually saw as a result when he bought and tried it.
Experienced salespeople will never promise what they cannot deliver. They know that if you make such a mistake in sales and fail to meet the client's expectations, then there will be no repeat sale with that client.
Sales Mistakes No. 10 - Selling the product itself, not the client’s benefits
The client, by and large, doesn’t care how many years your company has been on the market and that your engineers are mega-professional and everyone is certified like a Christmas tree. He is not interested in technical specifications. All he is interested in is what he will get, he is interested in what exactly his benefit is.
The benefits are different for different clients, the benefits in the same company are different for different people, the benefits are for each person, but you are not selling to a company, but to a specific person, so each person has their own benefits. And it will be possible to sell if the sales manager at the presentation stage knows how to connect the characteristics of the product with the benefits of the client.
It’s very simple, 6-8 chains of HPVO and the client will be impressed (if at the stage of identifying needs you were able to find these benefits).
Sales Mistakes No. 11 - No analysis of your successes and failures
In each company, each manager has his own personal sales plan. It can be in millions of money, tons, liters, meters, pieces... If you made a plan - you received a bonus, if you didn’t do it - you get a bare fix and possibly a quick dismissal.
If a manager does not analyze his successes and failures in sales, this is a mistake. The ratio of two figures: successful sales and unsuccessful sales is a very important indicator for planning further work with clients, identifying your weak points in sales that are worth improving and next time next month there will be more sales, more money in your wallet and a better mood.
How did you manage to end up at CIA headquarters? - I'm a super agent! - KGB, probably? - Better! Amway, .
And no matter how paradoxical it may sound, the school of sales in network marketing is really at its best.
And even if you do poorly at school, you will quickly be taught “field” actions that will immediately show whether you are doing everything right or making mistakes.
Let's talk about mistakes in sales. Let's talk about how, without being a manager of the Amway company, you can get into the CIA, GRU or even the secret place of the Illuminati.
Combat readiness!
Throughout the article you will recognize yourself, find out how you behave in certain cases.
We will discuss all the main mistakes. Therefore, get ready to be upset and happy, sad and delighted.
And also be sure to pay attention to the article before or after reading this excellent selection.
The main mistakes of sales managers
So, get ready to learn the harsh truth. Now I will tell you the TOP 19 deadly mistakes of any manager.
Mistake 1. Asking to buy
In my rather strange article about the fact that body weight decides in sales, I conveyed the idea that there are two types of people: those who ask and those who offer.
It is very important when selling to refer to the second option of people. You need to be very confident, you need to sell with the thought: “Why are their pots in my warehouse, and my money is in their safe?!”
That is, don’t be afraid to lose a client, no matter how stupid it may sound. Finally become confident, like this girl, for example. She knows exactly what she wants.
Mistake 2: Talking to the wrong person
We can long and eloquently convince you that your lip rolling machine is the best in the world, it has no analogues, and that companies such as Sberbank, Avito and NTV have already purchased several pieces each.
But if this is not the person who makes the decision, then everything will be “over the counter.”
The note. To understand whether the decision maker is in front of you or not. Just ask him: “If we find common ground, what will the next steps look like, who will have the final say?”
Mistake 3. Passive, not active
You can be a follower, or you can be a leader. The salesperson should always be the leader.
If you see that a client has asked you 2 or more questions in a row, without answering yours, then welcome to the club of outsiders.
Well.. as it is It is very important when performing your actions with a client, to understand what task is next, in which direction you need to “roll” the client.
And where should it go, what further actions need to be taken. In practice, the most typical options are:
- first call->
- sending the proposal and agreeing on a further call, meeting ->
- issuing an estimate, happy birthday greetings->
- offer to receive goods on special basis. price, etc..
And besides the fact that it is not clear what they are selling, sometimes it is not known why they came.
Error 5. The man said, the man did
And even if you are a thin, graceful girl, you must keep your word.
If you promised to call in 67 minutes and 38 seconds, then you need to call at that particular time.
Clients pay very much attention to this, they even specifically tell you difficult tasks in order to check whether you are a good company or a “sharashkin” office.
Error 6. Are you telling me this?
Sellers must initially have a loose tongue in order to, in the jargon, “talk” the client.
But also a real salesman must be able to listen, listen so that the client can simply pour out his soul. Starting from work and ending with what he dreams at night.
The note. The correct attitude is 60-70% the client says and 30-40% you say.
If in a conversation you speak more than the client, then you urgently need to stop and ask the client an engaging question in the conversation.
Mistake 7. The client is not a fool, the client is your friend
There is a saying and it is partly true. Sometimes in the eyes of managers during a sale, this is how the text reads* “You are so stupid! You do not understand anything! This is so cool!”
I hope, of course, this is not familiar to you, so just remember for yourself that you need to be friends with the client, and not perceive him as an enemy.
Treat him like a friend, whom you will simply help today, and a little later he will just as easily help you.
Error 8. The Russian language will still be useful to you
And then they studied it in 11th grade, then some even continued to study our great language at the institute, but there was still no reason to show off their talent. Now your time has come!
Take and write down everything that the client says, as this, firstly, adds respectability to you and adds confidence to your interlocutor.
And, secondly, at any moment you will be able to remember the main nuances that the client spoke about.
This is especially true in the case of protracted sales, when you call the client after 1-2-3 months and return to the old conversation. By the way, we keep such records in .
Error 9. Oh, that's it!
Managers usually say this when a client refuses them, or they do not see prospects for cooperation in him.
And we had a case when a client who could not purchase even our cheapest service due to his financial situation, a year later bought the most expensive...
And all because we didn’t abandon him, didn’t send him anywhere and kept in contact.
Although, honestly, sometimes we mess up here too, but we try, we try very hard not to do that.
So don’t give up on clients, keep pushing! Do not give up! But at the same time, don’t go too far, it may burst!
Oh that's it! Mistake 10: You can look better
The banal phrase “You are greeted by your clothes, you are escorted by your mind.” Dress as strictly, stylishly and beautifully as possible...
He said it just like a TV stylist. But once I was practically kicked out of the office; only my smile and ability to beat the situation saved me.
The most interesting thing is that they may not tell you anything about clothes, but they will definitely make a note for themselves.
Error 11. Bird tongue
In the field of marketing and sales, we have interesting words such as “ROI”, “Leads”, “Conversion”, “Closer” and I am so pleased to communicate with people who understand me perfectly.
But! Many clients do not understand these words, and it is sometimes embarrassing to say that they do not understand or do not know, after all, they are managers, leaders and patrons of other employees.
Therefore, speak the language of your client, this will make communication easier.
Mistake 12. Convince rather than explain
Again, as an example, I will give an incident from my life. We wrote a sales script for the client, using very cool and new sales techniques.
The script itself was quite original, and just as effective. And the client said that he didn’t like it!
We wrote and wrote like this, tried and tried, and he took and threw a stone, I would even say a cobblestone, into our “garden.”
We got on the phone, I told him why it was so and not otherwise on every line. He agreed and disappeared.
He just took it and disappeared, and all because he didn’t understand. I convinced him, gave a bunch of reasons, he agreed, but didn’t understand.
As a result, failure. Now at least we finally got in touch with him and he told exactly what I wrote above.
Mistake 13. I am the smartest
This mistake of sales managers is expressed in the fact that they put on a crown and say that they don’t need sales scripts, they don’t need developments, they already know everything.
And, of course, they begin to improvise, and sometimes their improvisation comes to a sad end, like in the movie “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
The use of developments and templates has a good effect on sales, since in fact this is your “best salesman on paper”.
By the way, our article will be useful to you at this stage. And if you don’t have time to do it yourself, then order a sales script from us :)
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He who does nothing makes no mistakes
What person doesn't want to be successful? Such people probably don’t exist. And sellers are special people. The desire for success runs in their blood. But often elementary mistakes of sellers stand in the way of achieving their cherished goal. And these obstacles lie, first of all, in the relationships and interactions of sellers with potential clients. What are these errors?
Mistake #1: Failing to Listen
A common stereotype of a sales manager is a salesman who talks incessantly about a product, endlessly offering some product. Absolutely right. How else can you inform and interest customers? How to sell a product differently? There is one secret: keep quiet and let the client speak. This is the key to avoiding unnecessary distressed sales.
While the client is speaking, the seller can hear and understand the problem of his interlocutor. And then it’s easy for the manager to figure out how the product being sold can help the client. It aims the product at a problem and presents it to buyers. The deal happens by itself.
The seller does not impose anything. He only offers a way out, and the client decides to use it. But this decision is the free will of the buyer. The main goal of the seller is to help the client, and not to sell the product at any cost and get a buyer. Seller-buyer relationships are built only on trust. This is the main thing in successful sales.
At the same time, listening is not only about paying attention to the words, it is also about paying attention to non-verbal details. It is necessary to allow the client to express his thoughts fully. Don't interrupt him, but let him finish speaking. The seller must answer questions specifically and sincerely.
It is important to observe your partner’s reaction. If it is noticeable that the client does not show interest in the conversation, it is worth restructuring its course and changing direction. By asking questions about problems, the sales manager will be able to provide more attention to clients and not lose sight of what is most important.
And, of course, in no case should the seller be aggressive or hostile.
The first fifteen seconds of communication are decisive and influence both the further progress of the meeting and its outcome. Here are some simple tips on how to become a better listener:
- Take notes during meetings with clients. Write down what the client notices, everything that will be important to him during the presentation.
- If the conversation reaches a dead end, it is better to stop it.
- Focus questions on three areas: the client's past, present and future.
- Ask questions: “How?”, “Why?”
- Record the answers received.
After summing up, it is easier for the seller to indicate what he can do to resolve the client’s problems.
Mistake #2: Lack of empathy for the client
The mistakes sales consultants make mainly consist in the fact that they do not try to put themselves in the client's shoes.Meanwhile, by learning not only to listen, but also to empathize with the client, the seller is able to become effective and successful.
However, today there are few sellers who are imbued with feelings for the interlocutor. Most do not delve into why the client bought their product. What prompted him to do this? However, seeing things through the client's eyes is an indispensable quality for a salesperson. This will help find a way to the client's heart. For example, if a potential buyer is experiencing layoffs at his enterprise, then you should not apply too aggressive tactics to him. Offering a service or product should be slower and smoother.
The seller should not forget that the client does not regard the meeting with him as the most important event in his life. Apparently he had to put a lot of his work on hold to make time for a meeting with the sales manager. This adds even more value to the client's decision to attend the meeting with the manager.
So, empathizing with the client is asking questions and seeing what comes in return. The most important thing in this case is sincerity and genuine interest in the interlocutor. Caring for a person should be sincere and interest in his problems must be real. Evidence of this should be the questions that the manager asks the client, trying to solve his problem, and not just test the waters. The client feels the attitude. Real feelings without falsehood will pay off a hundredfold. The client will repay sincerity with sincerity.
Mistake #3: The client is the enemy
This is exactly how some salespeople treat their customers. But the client is not an enemy, but a friend. A potential buyer is not someone with whom the seller needs to fight, overcome, or forcefully convince of something. This is not the person who needs to be tricked or outwitted. Yes, unfortunately, inept salespeople believe that it is their duty to deceive their customers. They seem to be competing - who will win.
Either they will deceive the client, or he will deceive them. This is a terribly ridiculous, stupid, tactless and unprofessional approach that will inevitably lead to loss of sales. The client is an ally, a partner with whom the seller consults and conducts business. The best situation for sales is when the client wins along with the seller. This means that the seller should not take an order unless he is sure that it will help his client.
Here, for example, are some typical mistakes made by sellers:
- swear during a difficult cold call;
- continue to call a client who makes it clear that he is not interested in the services or products offered;
- the intention to “press” the client during a meeting.
These are all temptations for salespeople, both new and seasoned, that can become terrible habits. You need to get rid of such habits.
Mistake #4: Ignoring and not sharing the client’s point of view
Every seller knows the truism - he must emphasize the properties and qualities of the product. But this is where the main mistakes sellers make. After all, the secret is that the customer’s decision to purchase a product does not primarily come from the properties of the product. The client cares about benefits. Benefit is what the client gains first. The benefit can be anything:
- improving labor productivity;
- acceleration of production;
- reduction of transaction costs.
Benefits, not sales figures, are what the sales manager needs to focus on.
Therefore, the seller must analyze and understand what benefits he can offer the client from purchasing the product. And only in this case sales will be more successful.
Mistake #5: Persuade rather than Explain
Mistakes made by novice sellers look something like this:
- they drive the client into a corner;
- talk about the wonderful qualities of a product or service;
- overcome all obstacles and objections;
- get the client to buy their product.
Each of the listed actions is useless and fundamentally wrong. We need to move in the completely opposite direction. The first point in the right direction is to understand the client's problem.The second is to demonstrate how the product can solve a customer problem.
In other words, we return to the conversation about benefits. The seller must show the client the benefits of the purchase. And this is only possible when the manager learns to look at things (products, services) through the eyes of the client.
Mistake #6: Bias or underestimating the client's mental abilities
Sometimes it may seem to a salesperson that his client does not understand at all what is being said to him. And this is quite natural. The potential client is not required to go into details of the business. He is not interested in details and nuances. The only thing he cares about when interacting with a seller is how the product or service offered will affect the solution to his problems. This is what is most important for the client.
And this should be the first concern of a competent sales manager. The essence of successful sales is the ability to see and solve a client's problem. No self-respecting and professional manager will evaluate the shortcomings of his clients and focus on them. But the seller’s task, by offering solutions to the client’s problems, is to lead him to an independent, voluntary and reasonable choice - to purchase a product, use this service, and begin cooperation with the proposed company.
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From this article you will learn:
- What are the most common mistakes salespeople make in sales?
- What are the worst mistakes sales managers make?
- What are three common mistakes sellers make regarding sales algorithms?
- What are the most common telephone sales mistakes?
Each business niche, including sales, has its own profit peaks that can be achieved. However, only a few succeed; the majority are content with much more modest amounts. What is the reason for this inequality? Why do only a select few get the maximum possible? The thing is that too many people, without noticing it, constantly make basic sales mistakes that prevent them from bringing their profits to acceptable levels.
The most common mistakes salespeople make in sales
- Reluctance to acquire skills.
It is no secret that quite often people go to work in sales who have little understanding of the scale of responsibility assigned to them. In fact, managers who offer goods or services represent your entire enterprise to the buyer. Although they quickly learn sales techniques, the most common mistakes they make are typical. If they don't have the desire to do everything to make the deal happen, then you wasted your money on advertising. The same applies to distributors who invest money in their own promotion and do not get the desired results. Both make the same mistakes in sales. The only way out is to look for the reasons for this state of affairs.
Establishing contact. How to achieve complete understanding with the client? Find out in the training program.
No one is born with the ability to master sales. Like any other skill, this one also requires an urgent desire to acquire it, constant training and work on mistakes. Observe the actions of those sellers whom you yourself could not refuse to purchase. How do they do it? Why did you purchase the product even if you didn't intend to? Pay attention to exactly how the successful sales professional communicated with you. Almost always, such professionals are distinguished by unobtrusiveness, mastery of the material, the ability to listen and make a timely offer that solves the buyer’s problem. There is no room for mistakes in their work; their sales reach sky-high levels. As a result, the client is left with the impression that it was entirely his decision, and this is not surprising. A high level of sales skills allows the manager to convince the client of the need to make a purchase absolutely unnoticed by the latter. Is it possible to learn this, or are you doomed to make endless sales mistakes? Of course, it is not only possible, but also necessary.
- Talk, but don't listen.
A very common misconception is that sales professionals want to talk as much as possible. Such managers do not allow the client to get a word in, laying out more and more new information about the product, as if this serves as a guarantee of an indispensable purchase. And most often they achieve the opposite effect, making a typical mistake in sales. The seller's verbosity makes the client doubt and ultimately abandon the purchase. Nobody likes to be a silent source of money. The sales manager’s task is not to overwhelm you with a flow of information, but to find out what the buyer needs. To do this you need to be able to ask the right questions. Each customer has their own requirements for your product. Some people are already quite knowledgeable about its characteristics, while others need a completely different product. Without asking, the salesperson will not be able to find out and satisfy the customer's needs. On the contrary, by asking questions, he can easily figure out what exactly to offer and avoid basic sales mistakes.
- Wrong words.
Trying to convey to the client the idea of the need for a purchase, sellers very often give him a completely different impression of the product that is required for sale. It's all about poorly chosen words. The product may be wonderful, and the client needs it, but the phrases that the manager used in his presentation evoked an absolutely negative picture in the buyer’s brain. Choosing the wrong words to describe a product is a very common mistake in sales.
- Inability to lead to a sale.
In a situation where the client is quite loyal and generally does not mind making a purchase, one step on the part of the seller is enough to make it real. To the buyer’s question: “Is there a blue color?” – it would be a mistake to simply answer “yes”; this will not move you any further towards the sale. It’s better to immediately continue the conversation as if the purchase issue has already been resolved: “Yes, would you like gift wrapping?” Thus, the client will be closely faced with the need to complete the sale.
How to find out the client's hidden needs? Find out in the training program
- Insincerity.
- Neglecting little things.
By omitting details when describing a product that may be of priority importance for the buyer’s decision to purchase the product, you thereby jeopardize the very fact of the sale. By not showing due scrupulousness when corresponding with clients, placing orders, or making deliveries, you thereby make it clear that you do not value their location. The logical result of such a neglectful attitude may be a mistake in sales, leading to the loss of a client who will find a more responsible partner in another supplier. The most annoying thing is that this will be your direct competitor, to whom the money that previously replenished your cash register will go.
- Lost connection.
It is possible to lose a buyer whom you are accustomed to consider yours for another reason. It lies in the lack of attention you paid to him. The main sales mistakes are caused by the arrogance of the manager, who believes that after purchasing a product from him once or twice, the client will not look for better conditions. Unfortunately, this is far from the case. The buyer can always move on to someone who cared more, who made him feel more important.
All you need to do to prevent this type of sales mistake is a few holiday emails, a couple of phone calls a month, just to remind the buyer how important he is to you. Ask if the printer you purchased works well and express your hope for continued cooperation. Believe me, this is enough to keep the client in your field of vision and not give him a reason to look for a new supplier.
- Misunderstanding of the seller's task.
Sales specialists have a very important mission - they serve as a connecting link between product manufacturers and customers. It would seem that there is nothing complicated about this. All you need to do is deliver the finished product to the end consumer. But not every company working in sales succeeds in this. Many small firms go bankrupt without finding a buyer. Why? What are the top sales mistakes that cause them to fail?
The fact is that many companies have little idea who their potential client is, what he needs, what needs to be done to make him buy from them. Errors in sales are caused by a reluctance to learn how and to whom to offer a particular product. Moreover, aggression and pressure are not at all the qualities that should be cultivated in someone who wants to achieve success in sales. It is a big mistake to think that trading and pushing are inextricably linked. The main signs of a professional in this field are calmness, sociability and a sincere desire to help.
- Lack of knowledge about a product or service.
It is impossible to offer others what you are incompetent at. This should become an axiom for everyone who does not want to make mistakes in selling goods and services. Only thorough mastery of the subject will allow you to prove yourself as a knowledgeable specialist, whose words inspire trust and desire to purchase the product. A waiter who doesn’t know what salad dressing is made of and what kind of meat is used for entrecote is worthless. The phrase “I don’t know” from the mouth of a manager is an unforgivable mistake; it puts an end to the company’s reputation. Naturally, sales in this case will be at the lowest level.
- The intention to sell a product or service at any cost.
Sales managers for the most part position themselves as people who are clearly focused on results. But this does not mean that they can be too straightforward and achieve their goal using any methods that allow them to achieve the main thing - to “sell” the product. This attitude leads to the imaginary superiority of the seller, who makes his main mistake when he does not want to hear what the client really needs. In an effort to quickly get a result - a sale, the manager speaks himself, instead of letting the buyer speak.
- Incorrect self-presentation.
The next problem concerns mainly the younger generation of sales managers who have not received sufficient education in the humanities, allowing them to freely express their thoughts without speech errors. It is no secret that it is recent graduates who suffer from a lack of basic literacy in writing, an inability to correspond at the proper level, and find it difficult to express their opinions. For a seller, the lack of these skills is a direct path to failure. A manager who is unable to put two words together will not be able to convince anyone of the need to purchase a product, no matter how good it is. Errors in sales in this case are a direct consequence of insufficient literacy.
The way out of this situation should be personal and joint work of managers to address knowledge gaps. It should be understood that competent writing and expressive speech are the tools without which a career as a sales specialist simply will not happen. He must not only express his thoughts without errors in speech and writing, but also have a fairly rich vocabulary, master various language techniques, colorful comparisons and logical transitions from one thesis to another. It is not without reason that some companies, whose managers understand the importance of this topic, organize courses for employees, inviting theater directors. Classes with a professional will not only improve the level of speaking, but will also teach sales managers to be relaxed and natural when communicating with customers.
- Indifference to the client.
Another example of the incorrect behavior of managers and consultants can be considered the lack of desire to look at the product being sold through the eyes of the client, although the ability to empathize with the buyer is the fastest path to success.
In pursuit of the result - the very fact of the sale - few people take the time to think about what reasons made the client purchase the product, why he did it right now and right here. But the ability to look at the situation from the other side will help you avoid a large number of mistakes in sales. Knowing the characteristics of a particular client company, the processes it is currently going through, is a good opportunity to make a more advantageous offer.
The sales manager must remember that although both parties are interested in the transaction, the buyer in most cases has the opportunity to choose between several suppliers. It would be a mistake to think that you are in any way significantly different from another seller of a similar product. Therefore, you should respect the very fact of the meeting to which the client agreed.
The ability to empathize with the buyer is also manifested in the sales specialist’s ability to ask questions and carefully respond to the answers received. He should see his role as helping the client solve an existing problem. Showing sincere interest will be appreciated by the buyer. In return for genuine care, you will receive long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation.
- Perception of the client as a rival.
This opinion, which exists among some managers, is certainly a misconception. Moreover, this is one of the main sales mistakes. Seeing the buyer as an enemy from whom you need to take money and hand him an unnecessary product in return is a tactic of fly-by-night companies that care only about immediate enrichment. When it comes to serious business, such an attitude towards the client cannot be considered even as an exception.
For sellers who value their reputation, this approach is unthinkable and is a grave mistake. Here the client is perceived as a business partner, without whom the very fact of interaction leading to a sale is impossible. Moreover, both sides must win in this cooperation, it cannot be otherwise.
- The desire to convince oneself that one is right.
If we list the main sales mistakes common to debutants in this field, we will get the following list:
capture the client's attention;
convey to him information about your unique product;
parry all objections brilliantly;
bring the client to purchase.
A huge number of novice sales managers are convinced of the correctness of these postulates. Trying to put them into practice, they fail over and over again, but they sincerely do not understand what their mistake is. But the fact is that a competent sales specialist should do everything exactly the opposite. In order to avoid making mistakes in sales, you must not force the buyer to silently listen to your speech, but listen to the potential client yourself. Don’t try to solve your problem by imposing a product, but do everything to satisfy the buyer’s needs by offering him a decent solution. To buy, the client must realize his future benefit from the purchase. And to do this, the seller must first see it through the eyes of the buyer.
- Condescending attitude towards the client.
Often, sales managers allow themselves a slightly dismissive attitude towards a buyer who is poorly versed in the intricacies of their product. But the client does not have the task of thoroughly understanding all the nuances of the purchased product, especially if it is needed for auxiliary purposes. He just needs to be sure that his problem will be solved through the purchase. For example, when purchasing office equipment for an office, a client is not required to understand the technical characteristics of a particular printer model. He is only concerned about the reliability of its operation and the absence of errors during operation.
The activities of a sales manager should also be aimed at this. His task is not to burden the client with unnecessary details, demonstrating his superiority, but to select the product most suitable to meet his needs. At the same time, the buyer should still have the opportunity to choose one or another option from the proposed positions and make an independent decision about starting mutually beneficial cooperation.
The Worst Mistakes of Sales Managers
Despite specialized education, long-term training and practical mastery of basic sales techniques, the most common mistakes of specialists in this field occur so often and in such quantity that they should be considered in detail.
Mistake 1. Praying.
Among sellers, two main types can be distinguished: the first ask to buy a product from them, and the second offer to solve their problems by purchasing the product they offer. The first option is undoubtedly a mistake.
Successful sales managers are representatives of the second type. They are confident that it is their product that the buyer needs to get rid of this or that problem. This conviction allows them to convey to the client the idea of the need to make a purchase.
Mistake 2. Passive behavior.
In the “seller-buyer” relationship, someone always plays the main role, and someone is subordinate. For successful sales, the leader in this tandem must be the one with the product. This does not mean that the buyer should be suppressed, although this tactic is a common mistake in sales. On the contrary, the client should have the impression that the decision to purchase was made by him without any outside influence, but the seller must be in control of the entire situation.
Mistake 3. Failure to fulfill obligations.
A sales manager who does not call back at the promised time, does not show up for a meeting, or does not fill out an application on time is making a big mistake. Thus, he makes it clear to the client that this company is not worth doing business with. If you are not interested in making sales, your customers will not worry about the success of your company; they will simply turn to another supplier.
Error 4. Illiteracy.
A low level of language proficiency, oral and written, does no credit to anyone, and even less so to those who have decided to devote themselves to sales. If knowledge gaps exist, they should be addressed immediately. Otherwise, your chances of achieving success in your chosen field are slim. Of course, you won’t be able to master everything overnight that you didn’t have enough years of study to master. But it is quite possible to practice several speech techniques and prepare letter templates without grammatical errors with the help of more competent colleagues. And, of course, you need to work on improving your literacy, read books, and increase your vocabulary.
Mistake 5. Overly emotional reaction to refusals.
It is not for nothing that stress resistance is included in the list of requirements for applicants for the vacancy of a sales manager. Mistakes and failures are inevitable, especially at first. The buyer’s refusal is not a reason for self-flagellation, but an opportunity to analyze the failure and draw conclusions.
Mistake 6. Inability to calculate which of the clients is the most promising.
Some skills only come with experience. Novice sales managers often spend a lot of time trying to sell products to customers who are not initially suitable for this for various reasons. At this time, more experienced competitors get all the real buyers. Having spent a lot of energy on aimless attempts, a beginner may lose faith in himself. How to avoid such mistakes in sales?
A novice manager must have a clear understanding of what target audience the product is intended for. This will help avoid mistakes in sales, the reason for which lies in the wrong choice of the client. Let more experienced employees share with him the signs that a typical buyer of this product meets. Each area has its own, the main thing is to help a novice seller present a portrait of his potential client.
Mistake 7. Failure to present information.
At all times, business people value time as the most valuable resource, so starting a story about a product from afar is a big mistake common to many newbies in sales. They do not understand that it is extremely difficult to hold the attention of a busy person for a long time, so their chances of being able to convey to the listener all the necessary information in the time allotted to them are negligible. Most likely they will simply be interrupted mid-sentence.
Teach new employees not to make this mistake by keeping the product presentation within the minimum time frame. Arm them with a well-thought-out algorithm according to which they should conduct a conversation with the buyer. The fact of saving your own and other people’s time will cause respect on the part of the client and increase the likelihood of a sale.
Mistake 8. Incorrect time planning.
Another drawback common to many sales workers who are just starting their career. It can be associated both with the personal characteristics of a particular person, and with the inability, in principle, to manage time distribution without errors. But the result in any case can be disastrous for the overall results of the company. Being late, canceling meetings, postponing the signing of contracts lead to disruption of the activities of the enterprise as a whole.
Mistake 9. Lack of skills in handling objections.
Every sales manager listens day after day to template objections from customers: “we’ll think about it,” “it’s too expensive,” “we don’t need anything.” The biggest mistake he can make in this situation is to start arguing with the client. If a buyer claims that the cost of a product is too high, it is useless to try to convince him or her by emphasizing the unique advantages of the product. No person likes to lose an argument, and your client is no exception.
A competent seller agrees with the buyer: “Yes, you are absolutely right, it’s not cheap, but...”, and then follows a list not of the properties of the product as such, but a list of the benefits that the client will receive when he buys it. Such a conversation will most likely end in a sale.
Three common mistakes sellers make regarding the sales algorithm
The sequence of actions when making sales in general is as follows:
The most common mistakes in sales can occur at any stage.
Error 1. Playing with one goal.
This is how we can characterize the situation when a sales specialist acts according to the scenario that he has determined for himself in advance, without involving the client in communication. This is a serious mistake, because the effectiveness of such contact is extremely low, there is no interaction, and therefore the sale is unlikely to take place.
Mistake 2. Projection of a template presentation onto the client.
Many sellers suffer from this “disease” - everyone who comes into their field of vision is perceived as a buyer. They are clearly convinced that everyone needs to purchase this product, attribute a non-existent need to a person and try to satisfy it. Of course, this is a mistake; such a presentation will not end in a sale; the seller is just wasting time and taking away the attention of a person who is not at all part of the target group.
Mistake 3. Unnecessary presentation.
This is the option when the buyer is real, and the need for the product is obvious, and before the sale there is only one step - just give the person the opportunity to pay. However, this is not without mistakes - an overly active seller begins to describe the merits of the product when this is not necessary, and thereby spoils the impression and can ruin the deal.
The most common telephone sales mistakes
- Wrong conversation starter.
The mistake that most often comes across when analyzing the work of sales managers is that they begin addressing the client with negative constructions: “You don’t need...?”, “You don’t want...?”, “You’re not interested in...? » The first reaction that a person unconsciously gives when hearing such questions is: we don’t need it, we don’t want it, we’re not interested.
To avoid this kind of mistake when selling over the phone, structure your sentences so that the answer is only positive. Otherwise, you lose the client without even starting the presentation. Take every chance to ensure that the outcome of the conversation is in your favor.
- Talking to the wrong person.
You need to make sure that your interlocutor is exactly the person in the company on whom the purchase decision depends. If you waste time on lengthy conversations with an employee on whom nothing depends, you are wasting it in vain. This is a fairly common mistake in sales. Do not hesitate to invite the person to consult with management about the advisability of continuing negotiations. It may well turn out that the issue will be resolved much faster if your proposal comes to the attention of the person who is truly authorized to make such decisions.
- Lack of consistency.
Any work brings more results if it is not a set of chaotic actions, but a well-functioning system. Telesales is no exception. The lack of a system negatively affects the number of transactions concluded. If a manager is spread out on several things at once, none of them will be completed, and mistakes with this approach are very difficult to avoid.
It is necessary to organize the work so that all actions are divided into large groups. When it comes to telephone sales, miscalculations can be avoided in the following way. It is worth first carrying out preparatory work on several potential clients at once: collecting information, making notes, preparing a conversation plan. Then proceed to calls, having previously tuned in to a positive result. In this mode, work will be more productive, and the number of errors will be minimal.
This method is the basics of time management. It is based on the fact that the brain copes more easily with several tasks of the same type in a row, and it takes a certain amount of time to “switch”. By distributing tasks into “packages”, you can achieve higher productivity, and therefore avoid mistakes and increase sales revenue.
- Lack of balance in conversation.
For a conversation to be productive, the interlocutors must say approximately the same number of remarks. This rule is most directly related to telephone sales, where mistakes are quite common. Moreover, a bias in both directions is equally dangerous. It would be a big mistake on the part of the seller if he gives the initiative to the buyer. But even when only the manager speaks, the conversation cannot be called successful either. The client will get the impression that no one is interested in his opinion, and in this case you should not count on a sale. The conversation requires the active participation of both parties, but the hidden management must be carried out by the seller.
- Neglect of written support.
Inspired by the success of a successful preliminary conversation with a potential client, the novice manager is already looking forward to the moment of concluding a deal, without bothering to send a confirmation letter to the interlocutor by mail. This is a common mistake in sales. If you do not do this, there is a very high probability that after your conversation the buyer received another offer or he simply forgot about your verbal agreement. Therefore, the meeting you were counting on may simply not take place. Don’t be too lazy to send your interlocutor an email with a reminder. For him, this will be a signal that he is interested in your offer, and the meeting will most likely not only take place, but will also end in a sale.
- Don't make an appointment.
When selling over the phone, a mistake that many people make is not making a specific agreement on the next call. If the buyer, after listening to the presentation, offers to call next week, this is most likely an attempt to get rid of the manager. But don’t give in - offer to call back on a specific day and time, for example, on Tuesday at 11.00. If this time is inconvenient for the interlocutor, insist that another one be scheduled. Because the general “in the week” in this case is equal to “never”.
- Mechanicality.
Quite often you encounter the fact that a sales manager, tired of repeating his presentation a hundred times a day, in the end does it so without enthusiasm that you can only buy something from him out of pity for the poor employee for whom the employer created such unbearable conditions. This is an unforgivable mistake that leads to a decrease in sales.
- Indifference to client needs.
Neglecting the main goal of a sales specialist - to find out and satisfy the buyer's needs, many managers do not show the slightest interest in what the interlocutor really needs. The mistake is that they set themselves only one task - to call as many potential customers as possible in the hope that at least someone will need their product. At the same time, they forget that lack of interest reduces the likelihood of a sale to nothing.
- Incorrect ending of a conversation.
To avoid mistakes when selling over the phone, it is extremely important to know the techniques that allow you to lead your interlocutor to a purchase. If the presentation is complete, move on to questions like: “What did you find particularly interesting about our product?” If you continue the conversation without encountering resistance, you can be sure that the sale will go through. Next, you should be prompted to make a purchase.
- Lack of a conversation plan.
It would be a big mistake to conduct a conversation with a potential buyer without having a clearly defined plan in front of you. Even if you are not new to telephone sales, you cannot be sure that some little thing will not confuse you and cause you to lose the thread of the conversation.
Small pauses that you unconsciously allow when formulating the next question can be perceived by the interlocutor as a sign of uncertainty, and this is a bad signal that gives rise to suspicion of the low quality of the product offered for sale.
By keeping the conversation algorithm in front of your eyes, you can rest assured that you won’t miss anything important. In addition, it helps to keep the conversation under control, avoid making primitive mistakes, and prevent your interlocutor from leading you astray from your intended plan.
At the same time, it is important to remember that we are talking specifically about the conversation plan, and not about your monologue, where there is no place for the buyer’s remarks. In addition to a list of questions, you should have a form to record information about the client. You will enter data into it during the conversation.
- Bad timing.
Basic rules of business etiquette dictate asking your interlocutor whether it is convenient for him to speak at the moment. However, novice sales managers quite often neglect it. When they hear a voice on the phone, they forget about everything and immediately begin the presentation.
This is another extremely common mistake in sales, because the interlocutor may be at a meeting or other event where there is no opportunity to listen to the manager trying to talk about the merits of his product. Therefore, the most logical thing at the moment would be to refuse the seller’s services in principle. And here the most virtuoso mastery of the technique of processing objections will not help, since the conversation did not take place. Out of ten people, one may ask to call back at another time, but the rest will be lost to you.
To avoid this mistake, just ask the interlocutor if there is an opportunity to talk or if you should call back later.
- Lack of preparation for objections.
Even those sales managers whose experience does not exceed a week can easily draw up a list of excuses most often used by clients who do not want to continue communication. It will be dominated by phrases such as “leave your number, we will contact you”, “we don’t need this”, “we work with regular suppliers”. The list may be endless, but the only mistake managers make at this stage is to apologize and hang up.
All these buyer responses are typical excuses that cannot scare a true sales professional. On the contrary, he should find the special charm of his work precisely in easily overcoming the palisade of such refusals.
However, most novice managers still make this mistake when selling over the phone, because they are not prepared for the very fact that objections will arise. Although clients’ excuses at the first stage are as natural as their gratitude as a result of subsequent cooperation. Therefore, the seller must anticipate the flow of refusals and attempts by the buyer to avoid the conversation. He should have enough techniques in his arsenal to help keep the interlocutor’s attention and bring the sale to the end.
Since excuses may differ slightly depending on the specifics of the product being offered, the company should develop an algorithm for dealing with objections and practice the ability to counter them at internal seminars. Several pieces of equipment that absolutely allow you to keep a client on the line are as necessary for a sales manager as the telephone he uses in his work.
- Follow the client's lead.
Sometimes communication with a buyer develops according to the following scenario: the interlocutor asks a lot of questions, extracts all the information from the salesperson, and then declares the need to think. Needless to say, in most cases such a conversation does not end with the conclusion of a deal. The buyer reassures you, which is actually a polite way to decline further communication.
To avoid this common mistake when selling over the phone, the manager must keep the situation under control, not allow himself to turn into an information desk when the client seizes the initiative, conducts interrogation and walks away from further conversation. Mastering active listening techniques will help direct the conversation in the right direction.
Let's say a potential buyer asks about the price of a service. A direct answer will be a mistake and will lead you into a dead end, from which it is very difficult to get out. But if we say: “The cost will depend on the conditions under which our cooperation will be carried out. Help me choose the most profitable ones for you. Tell, …". This way, communication continues and the chances of closing the sale become much higher.
