Six Common Sales Mistakes
Here are the six most common mistakes salespeople make and how to overcome them:
1. Fearing the customer's reaction. When salespeople are afraid of what a customer might say, they end up losing sales opportunities because they don't find out what the customer really wants. For example, what if the customer says, "Your price is too high." It's a knee-jerk reaction to offer a lower price. Instead, be proactive and try to uncover the unique buying criteria important to the customer so the price objection doesn't come up in the first place.
2. Taking it personally. Sure, in your head you know that a customer's bad attitude doesn't reflect on your worth as a human being. But our egos get in the way, and we internalize the customer's negativity. When your customer brings up a problem, don't get defensive and explain the problem away. Not only will the customer probably not be overjoyed with your response, but you will have failed to address the heart of the matter: how to fix your customer's problem.
3. Rushing to judgment. As a salesperson, you should focus all of your attention on your customers and their needs. It's all too easy to swoop in to present a solution instead of listening to your customer's complaints and the specifics of the situation. In this rush to cut to the chase, you're in danger of coming across as arrogant, and your customer ends up feeling their input is unimportant and unappreciated.
4. Beating a dead horse. How do you know when, despite your best efforts, your customer relationship is beyond saving and, therefore, taking up more time than it's worth? Maybe that's when a customer is demanding, even confrontational, yet provides you with little to no business. Sometimes customers like this actually cost you money because you spend so much time trying to please them. You hope that if you keep doing business with them, they'll eventually reward you for your loyalty. Let’s face it, there are some customers you just don't want!
5. Shifting blame. For the past 20 years, organizations have embraced the concept of teamwork. When things go awry, though, it's easy to point fingers. Pointing fingers only delays resolving customers' issues. When things go well at your dealership, everyone should definitely share the glory. When things go wrong, everyone should share the blame, too.
6. Treating all objections with the same approach. Some salespeople have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to dealing with customer objections. They may offer to lower their price or automatically throw in product extras, without listening to the reasons the customer is upset. When you respond to objections with concessions, customers learn that whenever they complain, they're rewarded. It's better for both you and your customer if, instead of giving price cuts to close the deal, you listen to what your customer tells you, then go from there. Slowing down and listening when you reach a business relationship speed bump works better in the long run than always trying to swerve around them.