I don’t know about you, but when I blow a sale, I want to kick myself in the nuts. The only upside to losing a sale is the lesson learned from it. I’m not trying to learn too much, though, if you catch my drift.
When I started off selling, I didn’t have someone pointing out the holes in my game. I, much like you probably did, learned my stuff from taking action, reading books and trying new stuff I had seen others use successfully. It made for a long learning cycle, that’s for sure. Allow me to shorten it for you.
Oftentimes, as salesmen, we will know something but simply forget it. How many times have you heard an old school close and thought man, I forgot about that, I need to start using it again? It happens all the time. We get caught up in the game and simply forget.
If you’re blowing sales, there are usually some fundamental issues you’re not addressing properly and all it takes is a reminder paired with action. Here are the top six reasons people blow sales. Remember it this time!
#1: You Talk Too Much
Shut up! No, seriously. Sometimes all a salesman needs to do to close is shut the F up. You have no clue how many times I’ve watched a salesman talk his way OUT of a sale. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The prospect wants to buy and the damn salesman says too much.
Decisions cause collisions. The more options you give someone, the less likely they are to make a choice. This prolongs the sale with objections like “Lemme think about it.” People need to be led to the choice that’s best for them. You can’t do that if you’re talking too much.
#2: You’re Over-Promising and They Know It
Ever get that it’s too good to be true feeling? Yeah, so do your prospects when you’re laying the BS on too thick. If you can’t do it, don’t say it. They will most likely accept things the way they are. You don’t have to offer the imaginary.
When you say something you know you can’t do, your body puts off a vibe. The prospect can feel that vibe in your body language through a phone line. Just tell it like it is and show them why they need what you sell. Drop the BS. It only comes back to bite you in the end anyway.
#3: You Make It About You and Not Them
The prospect doesn’t care about you or your background. What they do care about is how what you sell can solve their problem. What is it with salesmen who think they need to give you their background? This isn’t a dating profile. It’s a sales conversation. Unless you are what’s for sale, talk about what you sell, not who’s selling it.
The prospect cares about what your products or services can do for them, not what you can do for them. Matter of fact, the less you talk about what you can do, the less they’ll ask you to do it. It’s a win/win for everyone. You’re a nobody. Your product is the hero.
#4: You Quit On the First Objection
The first objection is always a test, and 99 percent of salesmen fail it. Most sales guys just accept the first “no” thrown out in the process. The first “no” is merely a test to see how much you are willing to do to make the sale. If you quit in the sale, chances are you’ll quit in the delivery. They can smell it a mile away.
Just like you have trial closes, customers have trial objections. All they are doing is testing the waters and seeing how you’ll react. Knowing this and removing emotions like fear from the conversation will close more sales and give you nuts like King Kong.
#5: You Believe Their BS (Buyers are Liars)
We lie to ourselves on a daily basis. What makes you think buyers aren’t lying to themselves when they say, “I didn’t come to buy today.” Just take a minute to think about the BS stories we tell ourselves every day. Your prospects are the same. They have the same stupid self-limiting beliefs most everyone has.
If you know what you sell will help them, it’s your job to sort through the noise in their head and give them clarity about why they should buy, why they deserve it and how it will positively impact them. Don’t let their lies cost you money.
#6: You Don’t Properly Ask for the Business
Sometimes, simply asking for the business will get it. Problem is many salesmen think they asked for it, but in the prospect’s mind they are left hanging. Saying you’ll follow up, call them, or reach out is not asking for business. When you make an offer you need to clearly articulate the terms.
The keys to making a clear offer are as follows: 1) verbalize it, 2) put it on paper, and 3) get it signed. If you follow these steps to making an offer, you’ll get a direct “NO” or a “YES.” That’s all we want in this game—a clear answer.
Okay, now that you’ve been refreshed on why you’re not getting all you can get, when are you going to implement these methods back into your business? I didn’t write this for my help, I wrote it so cool-ass people like you will read it and put it into play in their everyday sales lives.
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