FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

This is the second part of a two-part sales tip that looks at 6 common mistakes people make that ensure they do lose the sale. These are common ways to turn off customers.

Number Four: 64% of all sales calls are made to the wrong person. Are you wasting time and money? Make sure that the person you are meeting with is the decision-maker. Ask them upfront about their decision process and who is involved before you get too far along in the sales process.

Number Five: Going straight into presentation mode and overloading the customer with information on product features that they are not interested in. I recently walked into a computer store to make a purchase and had a few simple questions which I never got a chance to ask. The sales associate went into great detail about features I did not care about. Overwhelmed I made my escape, and ended up ordering from another company over the phone, whose sales associate answered all my questions.

Number Six: Don’t ask for the deal. You do all the work of finding the prospect, figuring out what their needs are and presenting a solution that fits them – why wouldn’t you ask for the business? I am always surprised at how many business owners just assume if the customer is interested, they will buy. That is a big mistake. Customers expect to be asked – if you want the business, close the deal!

Do any of these six items on a regular basis and you can be assured that you will not be selling successfully.