If so, it’s time to accept that you might be doing something wrong, and that something needs to change.
Are you guilty of one of these bad sales habits, perhaps?
1.Failing to prepare
It is vital that you prepare ahead of a pitch, and you know what they say… failing to plan is planning to fail. You must know your product inside out if you’re going to persuade a customer to invest in it, answering any questions they may have with confidence and clarity. Winging it very rarely pays off!
- Talking too much
A pitch should not be an opportunity for you to talk at the customer. Instead, it should be a two-way conversation. You need to stop talking and start listening as this will enable you to offer your product as the solution to the problem they are having.
- Not asking questions
How can you know what the customer wants if you don’t ask them any questions? You should be asking leading questions throughout the pitch – starting broad and getting more specific as you get closer to sealing the deal. This will help you steer the pitch and discover whether they are interested or not.
- Using the wrong tone or language
The language and tone you use will determine whether you build a rapport with the customer. Using language that is pushy, overly friendly, rude or negative or even speaking in a monotone voice can guarantee the customer won’t like you, or your product.
- Negative body language
Alongside the wrong tone and language, negative body language can be a big turn off. You need to hold your body in a way that shows you are interested, open and comfortable – not bored, anxious or giving the impression that you have somewhere to rush off to.
- Ignoring objections
You might want to ignore objections, glossing over them in the hope that the customer will forget about them… but you can guarantee they won’t. If you can’t overcome their objections why would they buy from you?
- Making assumptions
Why would you assume what the customer wants when they are right there and can tell you directly? Making assumptions means you are more than likely steering your pitch in the wrong direction. Plus, most people will resent being told what they want, need or should do. So, if in doubt, just ask.
- Not closing the sale
Not knowing when or how to close a sale could be your downfall – if you just hope the sale will close itself, it won’t. This is the most important part of your pitch, and is the part you have been leading up to the whole time. So, just ask them the question – you will either close the sale or be able to give them more information if they still aren’t convinced.
Do any of these sound familiar? Don’t worry if they do. It is better to acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them and improve than it is to simply ignore them. It might just mean you need to do some more training in order to perfect your sales pitch. Then? Well, you’ll be hearing the word ‘yes’ before you know it!
