Selling is a skill that some have mastered brilliantly while others may need some help. Let's be honest, everyone is in sales, but not everyone gets direct compensation for their selling efforts. The people who get direct compensation are called salesmen, saleswomen, sales' associates, etc. Selling is a skill that some have mastered with brilliance while others may need some additional help.
Many times the reason for lagging sales is not just because of poor selling skills, but due to some other reasons that affect sales. After 30 years in sales, I have discovered that these are the top 7 mistakes for lagging sales.
Mistake #1 - Can't Do Attitudes
Negative attitudes evolve from a foundational belief system. This belief system is the total sum of all experiences. The negative conditioning from early childhood turn don't 5 year olds into can't 21 plus year olds. Can't do attitudes within the sales person can translate into the potential prospect or even referral. For example, I recently left a voice mail with someone who asked me to call and I heard the following "I will get back to you within 2 hours." Three days later, not receiving a returned phone call, has established within me a "Can't do attitude" about this person. Can't do attitudes are contagious. Would I refer this person given that she cannot fulfill her honoring her word? Honestly, no.
Mistake #2 - Confuse marketing with sales and sales with marketing
Marketing is the actions connected in getting your message out to your prospects, suspects and centers of influence. This may include website, elevator speech, position statement, paid advertisements, etc. Sales is a process that begins when you have identified a need, a decision maker and a budget. This reason supports the need for the creation of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to measure how many times a potential client has been touched by marketing and then to track the progress of the sales cycle.
Mistake #3 - Lack of a consistent sales process
Successful sales requires a consistent sales process so that when a sale fails to materialize, the failure can be analyzed specifically as to what part failed within the process. Analyzing requires measurement such as call or sales to close ratio. How many contacts did it take for me to secure a sale? Again, the CRM system is a tool to help manage the sales process.
Mistake #4 - Confuse motion with progress and activity with results
Many sales people are busy, but are not making progress within the sales process. This business generates activity, but lacks measurable results. An example would be a general networking where there is a lot of motion, but not necessarily progress and a lot of activity with no to little results. (Collecting business cards is an activity.) Compare a general networking event to a quality networking event where there is progress in securing actual cards from pre-determined prospects and setting appointments which is a result.
Mistake #5 - Selling ain't telling
So many sales people are so anxious to tell what they do that they fail to sell what they do. No on loves to be sold, but everyone loves to buy. This reason addresses the sales training skills necessary to be an effective sales professional. The result of this mistake is no relationship with the prospect and potentially creating can't do attitudes within the prospect. See Mistake #1
Mistake #6 - Ignoring the value of referrals
Research suggests that up to 80% of all new business comes from referrals. However, many sales professionals ignore this valuable resource when looking to reverse the trend of lagging sales. Additionally, an effective CRM is critical tool to keep touching past customers and tracking new referrals.
Mistake #7 - Failure to Ask
Failing to ask to business, for opportunities, for referrals is a common mistake. This is the culmination of all previous mistakes. As one of my mentors has shared with me. We drive by more business than we will ever have. Until we develop the habit of asking for business, our sales will continue to lag.
These 7 mistakes are big, broad mistakes. In future articles, each mistake will be explored with some proactive solutions in how to correct the mistake. Until then, hopefully, these mistakes will begin to help you discover and correct why you are experiencing lagging sales.
Free sales skills assessment by Results Sales Coach Leanne Hoagland-Smith who helps with sales coaching, leadership to sales management development.
Get sales success with this sales book, Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, the Keys to Unlocking Sales Success.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
No comments:
Post a Comment