The Five Cardinal Sins Salespeople Commit
The five cardinal sins salespeople commit are as follows:
Speaking down to a prospect.
Assuming the sale is already won.
Neglecting to identify what the prospect's role in the company will be.
Being overly aggressive when you don't have an air of authority.
Believing that your product is perfect and not listening to what the client thinks of it first hand (what is called "prioritizing your product over your person").
A variety of factors contribute to making mistakes and committing these cardinal sins. The primary factor is the way in which you speak to and speak with your prospect. In addition to establishing rapport, you must also listen carefully to what your prospect says about his "real world" situation. Failure to do so can cost you a sale – possibly even a deal worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Speaking down at or speaking down to a prospect is simply that, it is almost always done in the negative and it implies that the customer has not enough intelligence or knowledge on a product or service which is being sold, thus cannot make an educated decision as your sales negotiator.
Assuming the sale is already won is another cardinal sin and is committed when the salesperson thinks they have a sale in the bag, but decides to return to their office to "check their e-mail."
Neglecting to identify what the prospect's role in company will be. This sin is committed when you decide to sell your product for someone else and not for your own company. This also implies that you do not respect your client and hold him or her as little quality than other prospects. It also implies that you don't know who is involved with your organization and how he or she relates to it.
Being overly aggressive when you have no authority to be so is another cardinal sin that is commonly committed. Being pushy is perceived as being manipulative and deceptive. If your agenda goes over the customer's head, he or she will lose interest and begin to feel that the product or service being sold does not really satisfy them or their business.
This list of what may be considered to be cardinal sins when it comes to salespeople does not include being aggressive or pushy at all costs, these are characteristics which every salesperson should exhibit when selling a product or service; rather, it denotes failing to promote self-confidence – and thus credibility – as well as ignoring what your client wants in order to make a sale. You must clearly demonstrate that you are a trustworthy person and that what you are selling will benefit your client, not just yourself.
A good salesperson will listen carefully to what his or her prospect says about his "real world" situation regarding the product or service being sold. If your prospect is not convinced by your enthusiasm, if he or she begins to give up on you, then it is because you have failed to persuade them of the value of what it is that you are trying to sell – and thus the sale will fail. The way to overcome this cardinal sin is simple: remain calm and listen carefully. If your client is taking time to think about what you are trying to sell before giving a clear opinion, then ask your salesperson why this is necessary. If the prospect doesn't engage in a thoughtful, detailed process, then you have not been listening carefully enough and that may result in a failure to close the deal.
Believing that your product is perfect and not listening to what the client thinks of it first hand (what is called "prioritizing your product over your person"), is yet another cardinal sin committed by salespeople who cannot understand or accept their client's real needs and wants.
In the last article of this series, I will discuss what they are.
Maija-Liisa Kontto is a specialist in sales and negotiation skills. She has three decades of experience as a consultant, consultant-in-training and trainer with nearly four thousand hours of professional experience. She has authored numerous articles for professional journals on sales and negotiation practices for both sales professionals and non-sales professionals (professionals). She has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences and seminars, held workshops and taught classes on the art of sales and negotiation for over fifteen years. In addition to her professional experience, she enjoys helping new salespeople build their sales skills through direct one-on-one coaching.
Originally from Finland, Maija-Liisa learned to deal with language barriers from an early age. Her two hobbies are cooking and sailing. She is married with two children in Finland.
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http://www.amazon.com/Sales-Negotiation-Secrets-Professional-Persuasion-ebook/dp/B00F1XQ2N0
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Conclusion to the first part of this series: http://www.scribd.com/documents_by_author?page=2&sort=author&order=asc
Part Two: http://www.scribd.com/documents_by_author?page=3&sort=author&order=asc
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http://www.scribd.com/documents_by_author?page=1&sort=author&order=asc
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http://edition.cnn.
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