Why You’re Not Closing Sales (and How to Fix It)
Sales is the toughest job in the world, but it can be an incredibly rewarding and lucrative job too- if you know how to do it. Unfortunately, most salespeople focus on how to sell more instead of how to become better at sales and that’s why they keep making the same mistakes again and again.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re experienced or a newbie It doesn’t matter whether you have been selling for days, weeks, or years if you’re making the mistakes given below they can harm your performance.
You’re Not Taking A Consultative Approach to Sales
No matter what you sell if your messages are not buyer focused you won’t be able to close the sales. Why? Because personalization is the key to showing empathy. When you show true empathy to your prospects during the sales process, you’ll create a long-lasting relationship which in turn will convert into more sales.
Personalize every message by researching your prospects and take a consultative approach to sales. No matter whether you’re sending a sales email or a cold email.
Related: 19 Cold Emailing Myths That You Should Never Follow
You Never Ask Clarifying Questions
This is perhaps the most common mistake salespeople make – they assume that they know what their customers mean and want. So, they never ask questions, but you’ll get in trouble if you’re doing this. When your customers tell you something, you should ask clarification questions to understand what they want you to do instead of assuming. For example, if your customers say they want something quickly, you should ask them when exactly do they need it? In a day, In three days or a week? Just ask your customers what they mean so they can tell you exactly what they want you to do. This approach creates language and intent that is mutually agreeable and helps you stay on the same page as your customers’.
You’re Focusing on the Wrong Buyers.
The biggest mistake most salespeople make when selling is thinking that sales is a numbers game. So, they try to reach as many people as possible without recognizing that not everyone is a prospect. Now by wrong buyer I don’t mean the person who doesn’t have the need of your product (most salespeople are intelligent enough to remove them from the list) – I mean the people who have the need of your product but don’t have the power or the budget to take the call (low-level buyers).
Instead of trying to sell to these low-level buyers, successful salespeople take the time to identify the people who have the authority to say “yes.” They know that sales is a prospecting game; not numbers game. So, they focus their efforts on finding prospects who are decision-makers and who have the power to say “yes” to what they have to offer to these businesses.
You’re not Leveraging the Power of Collaborative Words
As has been said before, “Word choice can make or break a deal.” They’re one of the most critical tools in your sales process. Yet very few salespeople are leveraging their power.
Do you know, top-performing salespeople are up to 10 times likelier to use collaborative words and phrases than low-performing ones?
Clearly, words are powerful. But how do you appropriately leverage them in a sales process?
Well, to start with you can replace “I,” “me,” and “your” with “we,” “us,” “our,” and “together” in the conversation. Also, you can use the persuasive words given below to sell more:
You’re Not Using the Right Tone of Voice
You must have heard it many times that cold calling is dead, but it isn’t. In fact, many successful businesses still use it to drive revenue. When it comes to getting good results from this channel, tonality plays a very crucial role.
You must have heard “The 7% rule” – that communication is only 7 percent verbal and 93 percent non-verbal. Since on a call a prospect can’t see you that means 93% of the success of your cold call will depend on the tone of your voice.
Now that you know that tone of voice can make or break your cold calling success, it’s time to use it correctly. Here’re a few suggestions to help you do that:
- Use the right volume; your voice shouldn’t be too high or too low.
- Don’t slouch; sit straight – your body language will reflect on your tone.
- Don’t do anything else when you’re on the call.
You’re Taking Wrong Shortcuts
Shortcuts are good they can save you a lot of time.
“I’m lazy! I hate work! Hate hard work in all its forms! Clever shortcuts, that’s all I’m about!”
― Eliezer Yudkowsky
But not all shortcuts are created equal some can cost you higher than the rewards. Here’re a few shortcuts which salespeople should never use:
- Calling prospects without researching them. Remember you never get the second chance to make the first impression.
- Using the same sales pitch for every prospect. One-size doesn’t fit all; the key to rising above the competition is buyer-based messaging.
- Not memorizing your value proposition. No matter how much you know about your product you won’t be able to describe it succinctly if you’ve not rehearsed the response.
You’re Talking More and Listening Less
Unless the prospect asks you to clarify your value proposition, you should let your prospect speak and fully explain their situation. Why? Because people like talking about themselves, it put them on ease. In fact, most people spend a whopping 60 percent of conversations talking about themselves. Give your prospects the chance to explain how their business operates shows that you’re just genuinely interested in helping them, and this will translate into better trust.
Don’t hurry up to close the deal. Take your time to listen and understand what the prospect wants. Attentive listening is the key to sell a product, and it can help you sell a product better than talking ever could.
Remember the key to selling more is talk less and listen more. If you’re talking more than your prospect, you’re doing something wrong.
You’re Not Leveraging the Power of Content
One easy way to boost sales is through customer education.
According to DemandGen’s 2016 Content Preferences Survey Report, “More than half (51%) of B2B buyers rely on content now to research their buying decisions, and they want shorter, interactive content that educates rather than sells.” If you leverage the power of content and engage them at that stage, you’ll boost your brand’s reputation which in turn will help you sell more.
You’re Not Working on Building Trust
You might assume it is common knowledge that you can’t sell without building trust and that every salesperson strives to build trust. However, that is not always the case. Most salespeople wanted to sell the moment they start conversing with the prospect. Don’t make this blunder. I know building trust is time-consuming, but it will lead to an uptick in closed deals.
You’re not giving prospects an option.
This is one mistake salespeople make often; they don’t give an option to the prospect. There are two major problems with this approach. First, not everyone needs the same thing. Secondly, it can affect your prospect psychology negatively. How? They’ll feel that they’re not in control of the situation. Instead, give them three options ranging from the lowest to higher-end option and guide them to pick the one you want them to.
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