10 Things You Should Avoid If You’re A Salesperson

1. Guess

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Your team and prospective customer will thank you immensely for this one. If you don’t know the answer to something, you need to ask. It can build a bond between you and your client or customer when you show that you care!

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2. Assume

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When you’re working with a client’s brand, it can be easy to make assumptions about their mission, vision, brand voice, and many other things based on their website. Once again, asking questions will save you lots of time and possibly even lots of embarrassment when you do a long-awaited project wrong.

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3. Not Listen

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As an expert in your field, it gets harder and harder to listen to outside opinions and ideas. You’ve been through it all (or at least you think you do). But a new perspective can ALWAYS benefit you. A useful tactic for listening is to calm your mind from your thoughts, especially the ones you have been wanting to say the entire time the other person has been talking. Actively listen to what they are saying. Even if it doesn’t sway your opinion, it could bring up new ideas for yourself or the person you’re talking to. Everyone likes to be heard!

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4. Not Teach

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When you’ve been doing something for years and years, every single day, it can get easy to assume the person you’re talking to understands your industry’s lingo, acronyms, or can make sense of what you’re saying. This is definitely wrong. Start the conversation by asking the person you’re talking to how much they know about your industry, service, or product. Once you know, then you can decide on the level of teaching and explanation they need.

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5. Not Coach

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Give expert advice and inspire. You’re not paid the big bucks to agree with clients and team members! If you think they could benefit from something, speak up. You’re paid to be an expert in your field, so show it off every once in a while.

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6. Rush to Present

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Have you ever heard the phrase “friends first, business second”? When you walk into a sales call, try to find common ground with the prospect. Look at their LinkedIn or Twitter profile and see if you have any shared connections, have lived in the same place, or any shared interests. If you can’t find anything there, brush up on your current events so you can bring up something intelligent about the world or their industry. 

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7. Not Discuss Budget

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Transparency and honesty should be at the forefront of everything you do. It may be uncomfortable to discuss the budget, but it’s the right thing to do. The right thing isn’t always easy! Come into the meeting confident, put the pricing up on a slidedeck if it makes it easier to talk through, and avoid discounting yourself before you get a response or feedback from the client.

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8. Not Schedule a Next Meeting

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You should always end a sales call with options for the next meeting or send a follow up email within the next two hours. Stay at the top of their mind and most importantly act interested in your potential partnership with them! A trick for sending follow up emails: create a template email and save it in your signatures. Grab it each time you go to send a follow up to save you so much time.

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9. Not Ask Open Ended Questions

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Most people enjoy talking about themselves and their company. Give them ample opportunity to explain and express themselves. If you’re asking yes or no questions, you can end up coming off as uninterested in forming a connection with them and missing out on valuable information.

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10. Think That Prospects Know How To Buy Your Product

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Once again, teaching is the best thing you can do for your prospects. Figure out how to explain your product or service in less than one minute, and educate them on it during your sales call! Be concise and give simple examples. 

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