Losing out on several deals lately? Trying to figure out why?
Here is your answer. The traditional sales techniques are working no more in the current scenario. The customers now have more knowledge and with access to the internet, they also have loads of information in their hand. One small slip and you will lose a deal. Here are 4 deal-killing mistakes your sales agent is making & you don’t know yet! Also, find out how you can help your sales agents in avoiding them.
Not explaining what problem you solve
This is one of the most common sales mistakes made by salespeople. Your sales agent most of the time fails to explain what problem you solve for your customers. Prospects need to be able to comprehend how you will contribute to adding value to their lives.
What problem are you solving for them? The market is now full of smart customers. Most of the prospects have already done extensive research and explored enough to finally make up their mind about what they need. After all these steps only they get in touch with the sales agent. That is why your standard technique does not generally work anymore.
Now the question is how the sales agent proves that your product provides the solution that no one else in the market can? To substantiate that the sales agent needs to research the circumstances of the individual or the organization that is contacting them. Find the problem statement and then offer the most appropriate solution to them through your products. Prospects are not keen on knowing what are the specialties and uniqueness of your product all they care about are the advantages that it offers to them.
For example, LensKart is selling its products by giving a solution to the problem statement of millions of individuals. If they would have just focused on the product (its looks, uniqueness, etc.), it would have never been able to become the favorite glass brand of so many people.
One mistake that your sales agents are making is talking about the product more and less about how it will resolve an issue for the customer. This mistake is made by the sales agent as their rehearsed pitch fails to lay down a diagram of what problem your product is solving.
One way through which your sales agent can avoid these sales mistakes is by questioning themselves:
- Why would someone want to purchase my product?
- What is something special that my product is doing that other similar products aren’t?
- If I were the customer what would attract me to buy this product?
Having answers to these questions will make the sales agent feel prepared as well as give a perspective towards your product that they have never even thought of. Furthermore, these are generally the questions that are posed by customers so they won’t be caught off guard when customers raise a query.
Before the product knowledge, your sales agents should be given information about the target audience. Then understand the product, later figure out how it will solve problems for different sets of individuals.
Giving all the information in one go
There is a reason why customers don’t like sales calls. That is, they are bombarded with all the information at once. It is not only overwhelming for the customers but also seems like a desperate attempt to sell one’s product.
Sales agents are highly motivated by the incentives and that is why they try to land as many customers as possible. Due to this reason, they end up giving all the information to the customer in one this. First of all, the customer is usually unable to comprehend so much in one go. Secondly, if a salesperson talks too much and listens too less then it is a turn-off for customers. Finally, the customer ends up ditching your business and choosing the competitor even if their product quality is inferior to yours.
Your sales agent represent your entire company as they are the first ones to have any sort of interaction with your customer. So they must be trained to listen more and talk less. Following a 70-30 rule is the ideal way to go about it. Where the salesperson listens 70% of the time and talks for the other 30%.
If your sales agents talk too much then 9 out of 10 times they will end up losing a client in their forceful attempt to sell something. Listening more will help your salesperson to gather the maximum information possible about the customer and then present a customized pitch as per their problem statement.
Make it a rule to keep away from regular sales techniques
One more mistake that your sales agent are doing is not structuring their business call before it happens. Because of it they cannot stay true to the agenda of the call and keep drifting away from the topic. Sometimes they also end up providing data that is of no use to the customer. The sales agents need to understand that the prospect already has heaps of data available to him so providing any additional future information will just turn them off.
Instead of bombarding them with statistics and irrelevant data, the sales agent should focus on taking the conversation in the direction where it will be beneficial for both the customer as well as your business.
For example, if you have a cloud telephony business, then the sales agent should focus on telling how it will help the business of the prospect instead of focusing on how others have made use of cloud telephony service. Sales agents need to understand that the prospect has already done their research about how others have utilized cloud telephony. In this competitive landscape, having the right cloud call center software, a toll-free number, and IVR service can make all the difference in ensuring seamless communication and customer satisfaction. That is why they are searching for it to figure out if it can help their business as well or not. What they need rather is useful in direction. Present data that is applicable to him and will influence his choice the most.
Allowing delays
In hope of landing a client, sales agents tend to give more than the required time for decision-making to the prospects. These delays kill bargains and then your business ends up losing the money.
If a prospect says that they need to consider it and discuss it with others then those are the grounds that they are uncertain or unsure about buying your product. As the sales agent, you should gather some information about the prospect to understand what they are looking for and why they are apprehensive about buying your product.
For example, if they think that the value of your product is too high then the sales agent should negotiate if at all possible to land a client. If not then probably assist the customer with a financial plan or an installment plan.
By using such techniques you would not only benefit the customer but also have a regular cash flow as well as establish your business’s image as a considerate brand.
Help your sales agents to avoid these mistakes!
Sales agents have a lot of weight on their shoulders and it is human to make certain sales mistakes when you have been following the same patterns for years. Help your sales agents by providing constant motivation and sharing this blog!
