There are many mistakes that professional Salespeople can make. Misguided thinking and the learning that goes with it is a self-fulfilling opportunity to improve. Making mistakes is not an issue, repeating them is. In all my experience as a Salesperson, Sales Manager and Sales Trainer, there is one most common mistake that I see on a regular basis…
As a professional Salesperson, chances are you are at least somewhat guilty of this. Hopefully, it's not something you do on a regular basis.
THE LACK OF PROPER FOLLOW-UP
We all want to make a sale. We live for the opportunity of a prospect becoming a client. It's the ultimate vote of approval. It means we did a great job. Our client trusts us and likes what we have to offer in our product or service. Our Sales Manager is happy with our performance. Our General Manager gives us a smile walking down the hall. Being viewed favorably and receiving a commission along with the respect that goes with it is a great feeling.
We seem to place so much importance on making a sale that we tend to move on quickly when we don't get one. Onto the next possible customer, we know that the more people we talk to the better our odds of making more sales.
WHAT DOES NO MEAN?
Years ago when I sold life insurance door to door, I learned two incredible things about the world of Sales.
1. Never take rejection personally.
If you do, you will not last in the industry. Rejection builds character and tests confidence. Do you honestly expect everyone to say Yes? If you have an incredible closing rate, consider that you might not be talking to enough prospects.
2. What the word No means.
I'm not interested in what you have to offer at this given point in time. They key words - given point in time. This is why proper, consistent follow up with people who didn't say Yes from the start is the sign of professional Salesperson.
WHY?
Why don't so many Salespeople follow up properly? Pressure. Pressure to make a sale. Pressure to make your budget or qualify for a bonus. The occupation of Salesperson carries a lot of stress. When we go through a period of time without a sale, we start to second guess ourselves and wonder if we lost our ability to do the job. How our Sales Manager reacts has a major bearing at this point. The smile down the hall from the GM doesn't seem so bright anymore. Suddenly we change our selling style and go for the close, hoping for a quick sale, forgetting what made us successful in the first place.
HOW DOES THIS FEEL WHEN YOU'RE THE POTENTIAL CUSTOMER?
We have all experienced this. The Salesperson puts the bite on you and you run for cover. This is why our profession still has a negative stigma. Instead of helping people make the right decision based on asking questions and providing the best information, a Salesperson can become pre-occupied with only one goal. Making a sale for their best interests, not helping people buy the right product or service. Does that kind of Salesperson get repeat business and referrals?
FOCUS
Smart Salespeople focus on their customers, not themselves or their employer. I hope you work for a company that firmly believes this. If you have no customers, you have no career let alone self-respect. Build a relationship with the people who say No by doing regular follow up. Here's how I handle it…
Situations have a way of changing based on timing. Would it all right if I gave you a call in a while just to do some friendly follow up? When would it make sense to call?
Diarize the follow up and call them that day. You are showing a potential customer that you believe in what you do and are prepared to be patient to assist them. If it's one thing that you learn as a Salesperson it's commit and deliver. This is where so many of us fall short. Improvement in this one area can make a huge difference on a regular basis.
If you or your company is interested in learning more about professional development, please click the appropriate link below…
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Thanks!
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