In general, most people are turned off by salespeople. Depending on an individual's experiences, salespeople have been perceived as pushy, dishonest, intrusive, and too talkative. To be an effective salesperson today, you must work incredibly hard to overcome these preconceived notions during a first interaction.
We can't change people's skepticism, however, and successful salespeople know to avoid behaviors that ultimately scare buyers away.
Below are seven mistakes salespeople make that turn potential customers away:
1. Calling and emailing too often
On average, it takes 3-4 cold calls for a seller to get in contact with a prospect. From a buyer's perspective, receiving three or four missed calls from a person trying to sell something is a bit much. It comes across as pushy and overwhelming. Dare I say, it makes you look like a stalker.
What's the solution? Do something memorable right from the start. Warm up the interaction so the prospect pays attention after the first voicemail or email.
How can you legitimately add value before you've even spoken? Do your research beforehand, and try interacting with the prospect on social media before sending emails and cold calling.
2. Forcing buyers through your funnel
Pressures of quotas and sales goals can unknowingly push us to close sales quickly. This results in a poor experience for the buyer. In a Harvard Business Review survey, it was found that 26% of buyers agreed that not following their company's buying process was their number one complaint of sales reps.
Salespeople need to adjust to their buyer's schedules and preferences to be respectful of the process for each person. Be sure to ask what the buying process is up front, and be there with your best advice and support during each stage without pushing or forcing your own timetable.
3. Not being personalized
Relationships and rapport matter greatly in sales. If you're too scripted and not personalizing your interactions with a buyer they're going to be less receptive to you.
Treating a prospect like they are "just another deal" is a surefire way to be treated like "just another salesperson." Make it a point to build the relationship, learn everything you can about the prospect, and tailor the buying experience specifically for them.
4. Not providing value
People today are busy. The "just checking in" phone calls and emails don't work anymore. If you're not providing value you're going to be ignored in most cases.
If you're looking to provide value in early interactions, consider sending them high value content, especially reviews. What can you provide that is helpful or funny or interesting to the person you're looking to do business with?
5. Your presentation wasn't clear
Always remember, a confused buyer says no. If your presentation is unclear or too complicated it's going to be too hard for your prospect to agree to move forward. Confusion will scare your buyer away.
The same is true with using industry jargon. This alienates your potential buyer in multiple ways. Jargon makes it harder for a customer to understand what you're talking about, makes them feel ignorant, and keeps them confused on how you can help.
Instead, do everything you can to make things simple and clear. Buyers should be able to easily understand what you do and how you can help them so that they can more willingly say yes.
6. Using pushy closing tactics
Buyers should never be forced into a close or feel like they were. Using pressure such as a deal deadline or demanding they say yes today only scares buyers away. It's human nature to resist when others are forcing you to do something.
Modern buyers have their own buying journey that includes doing their own research, reading reviews, and gathering as much information as they can before committing to a vendor. Sales reps should do everything they can to help guide customers on their journey and not force them in any direction.
7. Asking for too much too soon
You wouldn't ask someone to marry you on your first date, and similarly, asking a customer to commit to buy too soon can feel just as irrational. Presenting an option to buy before you've provided any value not only scares buyers away, it's detrimental to closing a deal.
Old school tactics are well known today and avoided by most buyers. If I could sum up this article in one summary of advice, it would be to use patience as your guide during your presentations and add value every opportunity you have. You'll find less buyers are running for the hills and more sales coming your way.
If you have been struggling with your phone sales, learn how Walking Fingers Telemarketing can help. We've been helping companies with professional telemarketing campaigns since 1999.
Call us toll free at 866-205-2268 or visit our contact page and tell me about your project. I look forward to explaining how we can help you achieve your Q4 sales goals.
We can't change people's skepticism, however, and successful salespeople know to avoid behaviors that ultimately scare buyers away.
Below are seven mistakes salespeople make that turn potential customers away:
1. Calling and emailing too often
On average, it takes 3-4 cold calls for a seller to get in contact with a prospect. From a buyer's perspective, receiving three or four missed calls from a person trying to sell something is a bit much. It comes across as pushy and overwhelming. Dare I say, it makes you look like a stalker.
What's the solution? Do something memorable right from the start. Warm up the interaction so the prospect pays attention after the first voicemail or email.
How can you legitimately add value before you've even spoken? Do your research beforehand, and try interacting with the prospect on social media before sending emails and cold calling.
2. Forcing buyers through your funnel
Pressures of quotas and sales goals can unknowingly push us to close sales quickly. This results in a poor experience for the buyer. In a Harvard Business Review survey, it was found that 26% of buyers agreed that not following their company's buying process was their number one complaint of sales reps.
Salespeople need to adjust to their buyer's schedules and preferences to be respectful of the process for each person. Be sure to ask what the buying process is up front, and be there with your best advice and support during each stage without pushing or forcing your own timetable.
3. Not being personalized
Relationships and rapport matter greatly in sales. If you're too scripted and not personalizing your interactions with a buyer they're going to be less receptive to you.
Treating a prospect like they are "just another deal" is a surefire way to be treated like "just another salesperson." Make it a point to build the relationship, learn everything you can about the prospect, and tailor the buying experience specifically for them.
4. Not providing value
People today are busy. The "just checking in" phone calls and emails don't work anymore. If you're not providing value you're going to be ignored in most cases.
If you're looking to provide value in early interactions, consider sending them high value content, especially reviews. What can you provide that is helpful or funny or interesting to the person you're looking to do business with?
5. Your presentation wasn't clear
Always remember, a confused buyer says no. If your presentation is unclear or too complicated it's going to be too hard for your prospect to agree to move forward. Confusion will scare your buyer away.
The same is true with using industry jargon. This alienates your potential buyer in multiple ways. Jargon makes it harder for a customer to understand what you're talking about, makes them feel ignorant, and keeps them confused on how you can help.
Instead, do everything you can to make things simple and clear. Buyers should be able to easily understand what you do and how you can help them so that they can more willingly say yes.
6. Using pushy closing tactics
Buyers should never be forced into a close or feel like they were. Using pressure such as a deal deadline or demanding they say yes today only scares buyers away. It's human nature to resist when others are forcing you to do something.
Modern buyers have their own buying journey that includes doing their own research, reading reviews, and gathering as much information as they can before committing to a vendor. Sales reps should do everything they can to help guide customers on their journey and not force them in any direction.
7. Asking for too much too soon
You wouldn't ask someone to marry you on your first date, and similarly, asking a customer to commit to buy too soon can feel just as irrational. Presenting an option to buy before you've provided any value not only scares buyers away, it's detrimental to closing a deal.
Old school tactics are well known today and avoided by most buyers. If I could sum up this article in one summary of advice, it would be to use patience as your guide during your presentations and add value every opportunity you have. You'll find less buyers are running for the hills and more sales coming your way.
If you have been struggling with your phone sales, learn how Walking Fingers Telemarketing can help. We've been helping companies with professional telemarketing campaigns since 1999.
Call us toll free at 866-205-2268 or visit our contact page and tell me about your project. I look forward to explaining how we can help you achieve your Q4 sales goals.
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