Top 5 Sales Faux Pas

With every aspect of life, there is an understood code of etiquette that determines how you should act to be “socially accepted.” These codes vary depending on if you’re with friends or at work, as well as if you’re out at a dive bar versus a formal event. The sales profession is no exception to these sets of standards; there is a manner of acting that will earn the respect of your prospects, strengthen your sales pitch, and help you to close more deals. That being said, straying from these protocols is how faux pas are formed.

While faux pas in the world of sales may not be as material as mismatching socks or flood pants, the implications of committing a sales faux pas are arguably more devastating. Committing these five “no-nos” will almost assuredly cost you the sale, or at the very least, will lengthen your sales cycle and hinder your ability to hit your quota.

1. Bashing the competition: Play fair; knocking down your competitors as the heart of your sales pitch only tells your prospect one thing—that you want their money. You should be selling AGAINST your competitors as a method of proving the value of your solution. It is not only classier and will earn you credibility, but when your selling points align with the problems within their organization, it will show that you truly understand their business needs.

2. Focusing on price: Only talking about price won’t convince anyone of ROI if you don’t prove value, no matter how much of an “awesome deal” you’re giving them. A sale means nothing without perceived value behind your product, and as a salesman, it is YOUR job to make that value understood.

3. Not taking the time to understand your prospect: Without a customer, your product is useless. Doing a little bit of research to make sure you solution is ACTUALLY a “solution” to you prospect’s problems can either help you close the sale or serve as a warning that you’re wasting your time trying to sell to someone who doesn’t need what you’re offering.

4. Pitching immediately: Getting the right decision maker on the phone is one of the hardest parts about selling; don’t waste both parties’ time by going straight to the pitch. Remember that this person is making a sacrifice to talk to you. They don’t want to hear about how great you think you product is, they want to know HOW your product can help them. Make sure you can answer that question before you get on a call, and catch his or her attention immediately.

5. Only talking about your product: No one cares! Delivering a standard pitch detailing how fantastic your product is accomplishes nothing, except likely annoying your potential customer. Taking the time to understand your prospect’s business needs before and even during an initial call will allow you to customize and tailor the value prop to their needs, which will greatly increase the probability that you close the sale.

These bad sales habits are a surefire way to annoy your prospect and potentially lose a sale; they have become no-nos for a reason. Of course, avoiding these bad habits will require extra time, effort and research in order to educate yourself before moving forward with an account. But, taking this strategic approach will allow you to ask appropriate questions, target your prospect in a way that will help them to trust you, and therefore make it easier for you to create a meaningful value prop and shorten your sales cycle. Just as you may cringe at someone walking down the street wearing socks with their sandals, a potential customer may write you off if you don’t make the effort to avoid these sales faux pas.

- Carolyn Sebasky
carolyn . sebasky@salesquest.com
978.749.9999 ext. 107