READ TIME – 5 MINUTES
Is it โ๐๐ฆ๐ธ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ, ๐๐ฆ๐ธ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ฃโ for you in 2023?ย
Perhaps youโre just entering the world of sales as a new sales rep or youโve just graduated and have landed your dream sales job.ย Well just like with every industry, there are common mistakes new salespeople make when getting started, but that doesnโt mean you have to follow in their footsteps!
Weโve seen first-hand the common mistakes new salespeople make and are aware of the difference it can make to a company if these pitfalls are prevented with the correct preparation and tips to avoid them.
Steering clear of these seven common mistakes new salespeople often make will strengthen your reputation and youโll be likely to see your sales success boom!
1. Speaking to the wrong people
Our first common mistake new salespeople make is not speaking to the right people.
ย Itโs crucial that when youโre making a pitch to a client youโre involved with the decision-maker, because at the end of the day it is them who will be taking any offers on board.ย
Pitching to someone who doesnโt have the ability to make a purchase decision is not an efficient way to spend your time.ย
๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ:ย Do your research and before you start donโt be afraid to ask how involved the person youโre working with is in the budgeting and purchasing process.
Phrases such as “๐๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ?โ, shows respect for the individual you are already dealing with whilst attempting to find the key decision-maker.ย
2. Neglecting the effort which goes into prospecting
Prospecting isnโt a simple journey, it takes a lot of effort and can require a handful of steps to get the end goal you want; but once youโve succeeded, itโs always worth it.ย
There also isnโt a one size fits all approach and some prospects may need more attention than others. Donโt let this demotivate you, instead use it as an encouragement to not stop until you get what you want.ย
๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ: Create a step-by-step strategy that you can use as your approach to prospecting. This will help keep things organised and once youโve mastered it, it will be like clockwork.
3. Not following up
Another common mistake new salespeople make is that they often move on quickly when they donโt make an immediate sale.ย
Smart salespeople know that timing is everything. So if your customer needs some time to decide, arrange a follow-up date instead and you’re more likely to strike a deal when revisiting.ย
๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ: Master theย art of the sales follow-upย by using a variety of methods and ensuring value is provided with each follow-up.ย
4. Talking too much, too soon
After working hard to get your foot in the door, itโs understandable that when you finally score a pitch youโre excited. But donโt let this get the better of you and say too much, too soon- instead practice active listening.
And whilst you may have the ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ข๐ฃ, use this trait when itโs needed most, when youโre securing the deal, not in the first stages of a client relationship.ย
๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ: Do your thorough research on the prospect and discover how your offerings can fill whatever they may be missing. This will help you remain clear and concise and stop you from over-talking.
Test out theย โAre you a Hippopotamus or an Elephant?โย approach and instead of more talking, do more listening.
5. Not doing enough research on the prospect
Starting a relationship with a new prospect without doing enough research on them could easily be argued as one of the biggest mistakes a salesperson could make.ย
Because without enough background knowledge, youโre only making it more difficult for yourself.ย
This could also mean youโre making incorrect assumptions and losing out on potential business.
๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ: Research, ask and stay open-minded. Find the prospect’s pain points and position yourself in line with them
6. Being over-scripted and rigid
There’s no doubt that revision and preparation are key, but that doesnโt mean you need to approach a pitch like a sales robot.ย
Leaving room for an element of spontaneity and personality is a great way of proving your product or service is different and will help leave a memorable impression in the prospect’s mind.ย ย
Not to mention how a little humour can go a long way when making a pitch and building a strong sales relationship beyond.
๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ: Instead of entering a sales meeting with a script of heavily rehearsed lines, create a list of the fundamental elements you would like to touch on.
If you are confident in your product / or service enough, that should give you the correct foundations to go off.
7. Underestimating the impact of tone and body language
A common mistake new salespeople make is neglecting the importance of having the correct tone of voice and body language.ย
Whether youโre communicating with a client over the phone, on a zoom call or making a pitch face-to-face, how you compose yourself is crucial.
Correctly portraying yourself can completely change the prospect’s opinion of you and your offering and start you off on the right foot.
๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ: โ๐๐โ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐; ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐โ. Show up to a meeting sounding confident, engaged and enthusiastic. Doing so will create a positive and welcoming atmosphere and have the prospect interested from the get-go.
Are you aware of any other common mistakes new salespeople make? Let us know!
๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐?ย
We offerย expert sales trainingย that will get your newbies successfully and confidently integrated into your organisation, whilst learning the top tricks of how to avoid all of the common mistakes new salespeople make!ย