Sales is a skill that everyone must master not just for business but for life success. All the time you’re using closing skills without even knowing it to get normal things done. Selling your co-workers on new business ideas, selling your kids on doing chores, selling your spouse on having sex tonight before bed. We all do it, and with just a few tweaks, we can DRASTICALLY increase our closing ratios. Learning to master it requires getting into the process and walking it out.
If you commit one or more of these deadly sins, the likely hood of you having business success (or regular sex with your spouse) is in jeopardy. If you don’t learn these things you’ll most certainly work for someone who knows these skills well.
Avoid these Seven Deadly Sins of Sales at all costs.
#1 Not Following Up: This is by FAR the most important sin, so let’s just get it out of the way. It takes on average a minimum of 7 contacts and generally closer to 8-12 contacts to close prospects, ESPECIALLY on higher ticket offers. If you don’t follow up after you’re first contact, the likelihood of you not living in poverty is very low.
SO DON’T complain about not having any prospects if you’re not following up on your leads!!! People have to get to know you. And they trust you if YOU’RE CONSISTENT.
So follow up. People buy from people they like and trust, so let them see how amazing you are!!
#2 Talking Too Much: If you can’t stop talking and learn to listen well, you’ll never close consistent sales especially high-level ones. When I’m working with clients on their sales protocol, I teach them that 70% of the call should be you listening.
When someone thinks you understand their problem better than they do, they AUTOMATICALLY assume you have the answer. WHAT!!! Massive technique & skill development is required here.
STOP talking your way out of sales. Don’t give them too much to think about. Thinkers don’t make buying decisions.
#3 Not Knowing Your Product: It’s surprising as hell how many salespeople don’t know their products inside and out, I’m always shocked at this simple fact that most people don’t know inside and out. If you don’t know the details of your products how can you help your prospects?
You ABSOLUTELY need to know the ins & outs of the problem your product solves. And how it solves that problem, (and why it’s the perfect product to solve that problem).
Don’t worry about looking dumb, just have a conversation, and share the solution to the problem. If you don’t know their need, you have no business selling them anything!!!!
#4 Failing To Prospect: If you don’t EVERY SINGLE DAY work to generate leads, you are straight up FAILING at sales. Every deal you close needs to be replaced by at least two more in your pipeline.
The ONLY way to fill a pipeline is by prospecting, both online and offline. Also generating relationships with people you can connect with so you both can co-generate leads for each other.
If you want to grow every single year, one of the main focuses in your business should be lead generation & increased % of closed sales.
