As a sales leader with decades of experience, I’ve developed a sharp eye for sales tactics – both good and bad. All these years, make me a real tough sell for any seller. Whether it’s a high schooler fundraising at my door or an AE pitching a multi-million dollar solution, I will always analyze their approach.
I’m critical, not unreasonable, but it makes me a tough sell. I believe in constructive feedback and will always aim to help salespeople be a little bit better.
With all our AI tools and spray and pray, it can be easy for sellers to lose sight of what matters – sales isn’t about you. It’s not about your quota, your commission, or looking good in front of your manager. Sales is about your buyer and delivering transformative solutions to their problems. If you’re not doing that, you’re not selling.
This misalignment leads to behaviors that frustrate buyers and stop deals in their tracks. There’s 4 critical mistakes that drive customers up the wall. If you recognize any of these, time for a change.
1. Failing to do your Research
There’s no excuse for a lack of preparation. We have so much information in the palm of our hands. I’ve sat through enough demos where the seller was showing features that were completely irrelevant to my business. It’s frustrating and a colossal waste of time.
Importance of Thorough Preparation
I don’t mean taking a quick peek at the company website or your prospects LinkedIn profile. I mean real research:
- Understanding the client’s industry and business model
- Analyzing their products/services
- Identifying key competitors
- Recognizing potential pain points
- Aligning your solution with their specific needs
When you join a call with a potential client with little to no knowledge about the prospect it’s just disrespectful. Buyers are giving you their valuable time, often stepping away from crucial business operations. They expect, and deserve, a sellers who’s equally invested in a potential partnership.
Consequences of Failing to Prepare
Failing to prepare leads to:
- Wasting everyone’s time
- Erosion of trust and credibility
- Missed opportunities to ask about potential problems
- Decreased likelihood of a sale
The preparation demonstrates your commitment to helping and your respect for their time. Nothing turns off a buyer quicker than feeling they’re more invested than the seller.
2. Overusing Flattery and Ass Kissing
Decision-makers value substance over the superficial niceties. Complimenting their product, or latest LinkedIn post, or the photo of their boat on the desk doesn’t add any value to the conversation. It undermines your credibility and makes you look insincere.
Problems with Ass Kissing
- It wastes valuable time
- Can be perceived as a manipulation tactic rather than genuine interest
- Doesn’t address anything the client cares about
- Can damage your professional reputation
What Clients Really Want
Modern buyers are looking for sellers who can:
- Provide real, valuable insights
- Challenge their thinking when necessary
- Offer honest, sometimes difficult feedback
- Focus on solving business problems
Buyers want partners who can contribute to their success, not people who agree with everything they say.
Focusing on What Matters
Instead of the pleasantries, focus on:
- Understanding the client’s challenges
- Demonstrating how the product can address these issues
- Providing data-driven insights most relevant to them
- Engaging in meaningful, solution-oriented discussions
3. Time Wasting
Time is our most valuable resource. Decision-makers juggle multiple priorities and have zero patience for inefficiency. Sellers who fail to respect this risk losing opportunities before they even make it to the CRM.
Common Time Wasters
- Unnecessary “checking-in” meetings
- Follow-up calls without clear objectives
- Unprepared presentations or demos
- Showcasing irrelevant product features
- Focusing on product specs rather than problem-solving
Costs to Sellers of Wasted Time
When we mismanage time with a buyer, we risk:
- Frustrating decision-makers
- Prospects being hesitant to take more meetings
- Damaged working relationships
- Potential for negative word-of-mouth in the industry
Time Management Best Practices
To respect each client’s time and maximize the value of each interaction:
- Set clear objectives for every meeting or call
- Come fully prepared with relevant information and insights
- Focus only on the challenges they face and how you can address them
- Prove the value proposition you’re offering
- Prioritize the problem solution over the product features
Sales professionals should be stewards of their client’s time. Be proactive in providing valuable information, streamline the communication processes, respect agreed-upon timeframes for meetings, follow up with actionable insights or next steps.
4. Lack of Product and Industry Knowledge
There’s no excuse for a salesperson to be uninformed. Yet, it continues to plague the sales industry.
The Cost of Ignorance
When a salesperson lacks crucial knowledge:
- Buyers need to seek out information elsewhere
- Trust in the seller and the company evaporates
- Closing likelihood diminishes
- Buyer’s experience with the seller turns sour
Areas to Know
Modern sellers must be well-versed in:
- Their product or service’s features
- The problems their product or service can fix
- Industry trends and common challenges and the butterfly effect of these challenges
- The buyer’s specific business model
- Any potential integration or implementation processes
Strategies for Staying Informed
To stay on top:
- Engage in continuous learning about your product and industry
- Utilize any company training resources and knowledge bases
- Stay current on industry trends and news
- Build a network of internal experts to consult when needed
Buyers rely on you for accurate, timely, and relevant information. Make it a mission to be the most knowledgeable person in the room about your product and how it solves your client’s problems.
Essentials of Modern Sellers
There is a lot to selling. It can be complex. It’s a skill that needs to be continually honed and cultivated. However, in spite of this complexity, there are 4 simple things no sales person should do; be uninformed, waste the buyer’s time, kiss ass and not do their homework.
Don’t do these things and I can’t promise you’ll get the sale, but I can promise you won’t kill it right away.
No one wants to work with an uninformed, time wasting, lazy, ass-kisser, nobody!
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