If you’ve been around the sales game for any amount of time, you’ve seen your fair share of green peas, and even experts, blow sales. It’s like watching a train wreck. You want to look away, you even want to help, but all you can do is watch. Watching a sale fall to hell is one of the most entertaining parts of our job. As long as it’s not our sale. 

We always talk like it’s only the new guy who’s blowing sales, but we’ve all seen a lot of old heads blowing deals too. Guys that insist on still using 80s sales tactics, trying to close in 2016. Even the customer sees though some of these guy’s BS, miles away. Losing a sale hurts everyone though. When the new guy or OG blows a sale, it hurts the reputation of the company, which hurts everyone. It hurst the prospect too because they didn’t get their problem solved.

In all my years of selling and managing sales people, I’ve noticed some key, common, mistakes that are made by sales folks, which cost them sales. I’m going to point out the 7 most common things average sales people do that cost them sales. After reading this, you’ll have to take self inventory and make sure one or more of these things is not costing your sales.

7 Mistakes Average Salespeople Make That Cost Them Sales 

Talking Too Much: This is the biggest and most common mistake you can make as a salesman. Yet it happens all day, every day. Talking too much costs salesmen and businesses billions annually[accurate guess] I know that the world says “You’re a good talker. You’d make a good salesman.” but that’s usually coming from the mouth of someone not in sales. 

The truth is, great salesmen operate in silence like the “G” in lasagna. A master salesman knows the prospect should say 7-10 words for every word he speaks. If they speak for 30 seconds, you speak for 5. Asking questions is the key to getting the prospect to talk. Get them to talk and they’ll tell you what to sell them. If you’re busy talking too much, they can’t get a word in, and that word could be “sold” but you’d never know. 

Not Knowing The Product:If you’re not asking the prospect questions, they’re asking you. if you don’t know the ins and outs of what you sell, you’re screwed. Without proper product knowledge the prospect will think “I like it, but this guy knows nothing about it. I need to make sure it solves my problem” and they won’t buy due to lack of certainty. 

You owe it to your prospects, your company, and yourself to know every detail about what you sell as well as every angle to sell it. Only average people wing it when it comes to work. To be an exceptional and master salesperson, you have to know every detail inside and out about what you’re selling. Prospects rely on you for answers, if you don’t have the answers, they don’t have the confidence to buy.

Don’t Believe In What They Are Selling: When I sold cars I drove what I sold. I knew that if I was going to be top producer, I had to be bought in. I wanted to experience what the client would experience. I wanted to look at them in the eye and tell them I made the same buying decision recently and I’m happy. Any service questions, equipment questions or otherwise, I had answers to. First hand. I sold myself first. i was my first sale.

Most people don’t, and won’t, use what they sell. It’s sad. Salespeople wonder why they aren’t selling a lot of product, only to realize they’re selling something they don’t believe in, and wouldn’t buy themselves. It’s hard to convince someone to do something you wouldn’t do without using the phrase “I dare you!” 

Overcomplicate The Process: Ever heard the phrase ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’ before? it’s probably the most well known, yet ignored lesson in sales. Just because you know everything about the product and process doesn’t mean the prospect has to hear it. When the double helix was discovered, and the scientist was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, it took him 5 minutes to explain the entire presentation. If it takes more than 5 minutes to explain what you sell, you’re over complicating it. 

These days people’s attention span is short, when you go to over complicating (talking too much, see #1) things you lose the prospect’s attention. When I sold mortgages, if I had tried to explain the bond market and how interest rates worked I would have never closed a single deal. Instead I always said “low rates? got ’em” I kid you not, I sold 1000s of mortgages using that phrase. 

Selling The Product Not The Results:No one wants a mortgage. What they want is a house. The mortgage is nearly a hurdle in between what they have and what they want. Sell the house. Not the mortgage. When I sold mortgages, I watched dudes struggle all day long, trying to sell interest rate. Meanwhile I crushed it selling houses. We both sold the same product but I sold results. Homeownership.

Think of it this way. No one wants a drill. What they want is a hole. Find the hole and fill it. That’s the way of a true salesman. Average salespeople pitch product. Master salespeople sell results. 

Appreciating The Prospect’s Time: When a salesperson says “thanks for your time” or “I really appreciate you taking the time with me today” you are insinuating that the prospect’s time is worth more than yours. You gave them a dominance frame that you will struggle to get back from. Thanking a customer for their time is like asking about the weather. It’s small talk, not needed and positions you in the wrong frame. Avoid it.

Your time is just as, if not more, important that the prospect’s. Make sure you let them know. My favorite is to push the rushed sale. in other words, I let them know up front that I’m busy and this process will be quick. I let them know I’m not here to waste my time of theirs. We’re getting this deal done.  Now.

Not Following Up: This is the most annoying yet lucrative part of sales. Most salespeople simply refuse to follow up. Be it because they have a steady stream of new leads, or maybe they didn’t earn the right to follow up. Either way, most salespeople don’t follow up and are scared to death to do so.

Meanwhile, over here in Closerland, we call everyone until they tell us not to. Our secret is always calling with a gift. “Hey Ryan I have a blog post I’d like to you read” or “Hey Ryan I have a free book for you. Where do you want it sent.” My prospects enjoy the follow up. They know that even after they buy, we follow up. Follow up and make sure they are happy, taking action, etc… We care.

Wanna know how to tell if you’re an average salesman or not? Look at your check. If you made less than $10,000 in the last month, you’re average. You may not want to hear it, but it is what it is. Don’t even come at me with the “you can’t make $10,000 a month selling what I sell” because there’s someone out there doing it. Which only reinforces how average you are. [stings don’t it] the truth will set you free, but it may piss you off first.

If you’re ready to take the leap from average to the top, I got the all around best selling program on the market. You can get your hands on my Show Up and Close training right here www.buyshowupandclose.com Make the investment, take action and become the 1%

Lastly, if you’d like more information on working with me personally or coming to one of my live events, simply scroll down and fill out the application below. If you are not ready to make the monetary investment into yourself at this time, DO NOT fill out the form. I get 100s of these each day and we need to make sure we get to those who are ready, first. Also, share this with a salesman you know or on social media.