If you feel you’re putting more into your sales efforts than you’re getting back in results, you might be making one of these common mistakes without realising it. From a lacklustre sales process to a lack of feedback, these easy to make errors could see your sales team underperforming and your prospects and customers going elsewhere. Keep reading to learn more. 
1. Poor Customer Service
For current customers who already trade with you, good customer service makes a big difference at every stage of the buying journey. if they are already advocates then buying more or new services or products from you will be so much easier for them to justify.
Some of the most commonly made customer service mistakes include:
- Not following up on meetings
- Not delivering services or products on time or to the right standard
- Not keeping other promises made during the buying process.
2. Lack Of Analysis
Failing to carry out product or service gap analysis could result in your business missing out on key sales. If you don’t put time into this analysis, you won’t be able to target cross sell opportunities. Cross selling can help to boost sales and retain customers, so devoting energy and resources to it can pay dividends.
3. Delivering A Bad Pitch
A pitch can make or break a sales opportunity. Make a good pitch, and you could win yourself a customer who’ll be loyal for years to come. Make a bad pitch, however, and you could lose out on vital revenue and an important buyer.
All good pitches start with the sentiment ‘here’s what you told us was important to you’. Making the pitch about your customer, not you, will show that you’re focused on their needs and are committed to finding the right solutions to their requirements.
4. Brochure Selling
One of the biggest mistakes that suppliers make is ‘brochure selling’. This involves talking through your literal or metaphorical brochure without any real idea of what interests your customer and what they do or don’t value.
Your strength as a real, live salesperson is that you can offer your customers insight, information and guidance based on what THEY value, not you!. So, seek to consult properly with your prospect before offering them solutions. Find out what their needs are, what they hope to get from your products or services and the areas that are most important to them.
5. Undefined Target Market
If your research isn’t specific enough, it can result in your market being undefined and your marketing efforts too wide ranging. This type of scattergun approach is normally expensive and unproductive. Instead, put time and energy into properly researching your target audience and building an effective, coherent marketing campaign.
6. Not ‘Being There’ In The Moment
How often have you been talking to a prospect and suddenly found yourself thinking about your ‘to do’ list, your next meeting or that email you have to send? More often than not, potential customers will spot when the person they’re talking to isn’t completely focused on them. This will make them feel underappreciated and may cause you to lose the sale.
Fixing this mistake is completely within your control and doesn’t cost a penny. So, start training yourself to be 100% there in the moment. Think about the person you’re talking to and the products or services you’re selling.
7. Not Asking For Any Feedback or Referrals
We can’t change what we don’t acknowledge, and, after all, failure is an opportunity to grow. So, ask for feedback whenever possible, even if things haven’t gone your way. Advocates can be very useful when it comes to providing good, honest feedback. They’re loyal to your brand already and so will want to see you improve your products or services even further.
It’s also important to ask advocates for referrals. Any warm leads they can provide you with will help to boost your revenue and see you hit those sales targets.
Thinking honestly about where you may be making mistakes is crucial if you’re going to improve your sales technique and boost your bottom line.
Learn more, and find out how our team can help hone your business skills, by getting in touch today.
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