FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

Over the years in sales I have seen people do certain things again and again that are guaranteed to lose the sale. The first three are listed below.

Number One: Do more talking than listening. How can you provide a solution to a client if you do not know what their needs are? I constantly see sales reps who talk themselves out of a sale by not giving the customer a chance to talk about what they are looking for.

Number Two: Pressure them to buy because you are desperate to make a sale. People smell desperation and they will not trust you because they know that you are more interested in meeting your sales goals than in providing what they need. When was the last time you bought from a pushy salesperson?

Number Three: Oversell what your product can do. One software company had a sales rep who constantly sold features their product did not have. When the implementation team arrived onsite to do the installation and training, the customer would be furious when they found out they had purchased features that did not exist - many of the deals were cancelled. This cost the company money and reputation. Be passionate and honest about what your product or service can do for the customer. Set realistic expectations.