We
all make mistakes
all the time.
Professionals
also make mistakes.
Engineers miscalculate
strengths, accountants
transpose digits,
and physicians
make wrong diagnoses.
Salespeople too
make mistakes
and as long as
we are human we
will continue
to do so.
The mistakes salespeople
make are of various
types-some are
big, some small;
some are grave,
some minor. All
the mistakes irrespective
of their degree
have negative
consequences.
There are certain
mistakes which
salespeople commit
are preventable.
Behavioral mistakes
which are salespeople's
bad habits, are
very common and
most of the time
invisible to the
salesperson. These
are so simple
and common that
we all repent
when they turn
off prospects
and lose opportunities.
Just knowing them
could help you
a lot to avoid
them and win sales.
In this article
we shall identify
some common mistakes
you as a salesperson
make and discuss
means to prevent
them happening
again.
Badmouthing competitors
Can you name any
industry where
badmouthing the
competitor is
widely practiced
and well accepted?
I can at least
name one and that
is professional
wrestling. Unless
you are working
in this sector,
you may forget
about the term
'badmouthing'
for the rest of
your life. Nothing
can harm you more
than you speaking
ill of competitors
to a prospect.
First of all,
you do not have
enough time to
do this. In the
context of present
competitive situation
time is very precious
and you probably
worked very hard
to manage an appointment
with a prospect.
So, you have very
limited time to
sell your products
or ideas-in fact,
every second counts.
Instead of badmouthing
the competitor
you need to really
focus on your
point before the
prospect gets
irritated and
shows you the
door.
On the other hand,
the prospect might
be well aware
of the competition.
It is likely that
your competitors
had also met the
prospect before
you did or may
be the prospect
himself had done
some personal
study on the industry
before he sat
with you. I have
personally encountered
many situations
where salespeople
said bad things
about their competitors
and I never liked
any of them. You
will probably
not like it yourself
and will rarely
find anybody doing
so.
Badmouthing the
competitor may
lead you to lose
the sale opportunity
once and for all.
Instead, you should
focus on your
offers and utilize
the time in your
favor. Your all-out
efforts should
be directed to
show the prospect
his needs and
how best your
offers are going
to meet that precisely.
Not knowing the
economics of selling
It is natural
that we all salespeople
want to sell more.
We are always
hungry for sale
and want to exceed
our sales quota.
There is no problem
in it as long
you understand
the economics
of selling.
Would you sell
something at a
hundred taka that
costs you a hundred
and twenty taka?
Interestingly
there are many
salespeople engaged
in doing so without
even realizing
it. They are driven
in making sale
ignoring the cost
incurred to bring
the product or
service into the
hands of the customers:
manufacturing,
marketing, distribution,
warehousing, selling,
administrative
supports, utilities,
taxes …
etc. etc. Unless
you realize this
there is no difference
in selling than
giving it away
free.
I have seen many
salespeople who
are very keen
on bringing the
price of the products
lower than that
of their competitors'
as it is easy
for them to sell
more at a lower
price. When I
tell them that
charging less
would eat away
profits of the
company they instantly
argue by saying,
"but boss
we can meet this
up in volumes".
The thing that
they don't understand
is, if you lose
in every deal,
you can not cover
it up with volumes
whatever large
they may be. In
fact, in this
situation the
more you sell
the more you bring
the company to
a state of bankruptcy.
I have closely
interacted with
all levels of
salespeople just
to check whether
they do understand
this economics
of selling or
not. Surprisingly
the answer is
a big yes. What
they are more
concerned about
is making sale,
achieving the
sale target and
bagging commission.
They think the
others are company
matters because
it is the company
that is losing
money and not
them. They don't
understand that
the company is
making money out
of the sale they
generate. The
whole purpose
of having a sales
team is to sell
more and sell
at a profit. If
you can not do
that for your
company, your
company is not
going to have
any reasons and
means to keep
any one of you.
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