Jane Sheeba

4 Mistakes Your Sales Team Are Definitely Making

Are your sales reps performing to the best of their abilities? Chances are, they could be doing better. Numerous surveys have revealed that sales teams often make some common mistakes, and these could be the very factors that are hindering your success rate. It’s crucial that we address these issues to ensure our teams are operating at their peak.

Contrary to popular belief, closing isn’t the most challenging part of the sale, and if your team is opting for this answer, there are probably reasons why closing is the hardest.

This post will examine some of the most common mistakes sales teams make and explain how to avoid them.

Using Statements Not Questions

If closing is an issue, then your sales team is probably using statements instead of questions. Questions, by default, get more definite answers rather than leaving the answer to the prospect’s whim.

Instead of telling a prospect you’d like to pick up the call on Monday, ask them what time Monday suits them to continue. If you ask for something, you’re more likely to get it. If your team isn’t able to finish the sale, it might be that they lack the expertise to ask questions or are scared to. The worst that can happen is they say no, which is infinitely better than being ghosted because they do not make definite plans.

No Urgency

Need and timing are requirements for making a sale; however, if something isn’t deemed a priority, it will be pushed back down the list of things to get sorted for both the sales team and the clients.

If your team isn’t reiterating the urgency in getting why this needs to be addressed to the prospect, it’ll just become another thing on a to-do list that never actually gets done. Urgency in sales is about making the prospect understand that the problem your product solves needs to be addressed now, not later. Your team needs to know how to deliver this urgency within their conversations to help close the deal, and the prospect is aware it’s time-sensitive and needs to be actioned right away.

No Training

One of the most detrimental things you can do to your sales team is to send them out into the field with little or no training. Without the necessary skills in data interpretation, effective communication, and product knowledge, they won’t be able to deliver the results you need. Investing in sales service training can equip your team with the skills they need to succeed, ensuring everyone knows their role and how to maximise prospects to seal the deal.

Not Embracing Silence

If your team doesn’t understand the power of silence in sales calls, they could be missing out on valuable opportunities. Instead of immediately countering a prospect’s reason, train them to use silence to their advantage. Allowing a response to sit for a second or two before replying can open up the dialogue for the prospect to intervene, potentially turning the conversation in your favour.

Let’s say they tell you they cannot meet on a particular day, but you jump back in with an alternative; this might not work for them either. Instead, sitting in silence allows them to resolve the issue, which is possible by having time to think about things. If they don’t counter another reply, then by all means, jump in, but use silence to allow them to answer for themselves instead of having your sales rep do it for them.

Dr. Jane Sheeba

I am Dr. Jane Sheeba (Ph. D), Author and a Digital Content Strategist. I also write at Smart Study Deck, Do Splash and Glam Book Daily. My YouTube Channel. Need help with content for your business? a Contact me!

Next IBM’s Generative AI Courses (Free): Your Chance to Step Into the Future »

Previous « Taming the Inbox: Conquer Email Overload Once and For All

View Comments

TrackHr App says:

at

This article offers a fresh perspective and raises some thought-provoking points—thank you for sharing such valuable insights!