Heads Up...Steer Clear of These Selling Pitfalls!

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore is not an act but a habit."
-Aristotle, philospher

Whenever I come across an article that will help you stay on top of your sales game, I feel a special duty to pass it along!

The list of "9 Avoidable Selling Mistakes" (below) were composed by Geoffrey James, who is a regular contributor to BNET (On-line Business Network).

Geoffrey shares my passion for helping sales Reps achieve greater effectiveness through the application of solid work practices and habits.

Most of what Geoffrey emphasizes has been previously addressed in several of my Blog postings—but it is always valuable to gain a fresh perspective from other industry voices.

Keep the following 'tips' handy as a professional reminder for staying clear of these all too common selling pitfalls...and don't forget to share them with your co-workers/team mates.

9 EASILY AVOIDABLE SELLING MISTAKES:

1. Failure to keep your pipeline primed—not having enough prospects at the beginning of the sales cycle.
2. Failure to research the prospect—cold calling “in the dark” without knowing much about the prospect.
3. Failure to qualify a lead—putting a lead into your pipeline without being certain the prospect has a need or the ability to buy.
4. Failure to discover the buying process—assuming your sales activities will drive the sales from inception to closing.
5. Giving a generic sales pitch—going through a list of canned features and benefits.
6. Trying to close too soon—asking for the sale before the prospect is convinced there is a real need or that your company offering is right for them.
7. Waiting too long to close—letting the sales process go on and on without asking for the business.
8. Failure to follow up –you make a commitment to a prospect, but don’t find the time to fulfill it; or you forget to check on a customer after you’ve made the sale.
9. Forgetting to get a referral—not getting “warm leads” from your existing customers.

Always work smart and with your sales radar in the "on" positioin.