Avoiding Sales Mistakes: Tom Hopkins’ Top 10 “Sales Killers”
By Allan Pulga
Experienced salespeople know that making a sale is just as much “avoiding the wrong things,” as it is “doing the right things.” It’s a careful process of delivering what the customer wants and expects, while staying away from what the customer doesn’t want.
So, to avoid making sales mistakes, it’s important to keep such behaviours in mind – Tom Hopkins, the “Sales Basics” coach at Entrepreneur.com, serves up his “Top 10 Sales Killers”:
1. Lack of professional appearance. “If you want people to listen to you and heed your advice regarding your product or service, you have to come across – both in appearance and demeanor – as a professional expert,” says Hopkins. “This means that you’re appropriately groomed. You walk with confidence. People will buy from you based more on your conviction and enthusiasm for your product than they will your product knowledge.”
2. Talking too much. “When you’re talking, you’re telling,” he says. “When you ask questions to get clients talking about their needs, you’re selling; you’re finding out what they want to own. Only then can you guide them to the right product or service.”
3. Your vocabulary. “Words create pictures in our minds,” explains Hopkins. “Certain words that are inherent to selling turn people off.” For example, he advises against using the word “contract,” in favour of words like “agreement,” “form” or “paperwork.” The above example is also suitable for use in cellular retail, as everybody already knows what a cellphone contract is.
4. Not investing time in building rapport. “Good rapport builds trust,” he says. “No one will want to make a purchase from someone they don’t like and trust. Don’t just jump right into a presentation on your product. Get to know your client a bit.” Again, it’s more important to ask questions than to do all the talking.
5. Lack of a qualification system. Hopkins says a certain percentage of your customers won’t be good candidates for your product or service. “If they don’t have the need or the money for your product or service, there’s no sale,” he says. “Your challenge is to figure this out as early in your communication with them as possible. Come up with at least three or four questions, the answers to which will tell you if they’re qualified to own your offering.”
6. Not knowing when to stop presenting and close the sale. “Too many salespeople think they have to tell potential clients everything they know about the product,” he says. “Even after a client has indicated that the product is right for them, the salesperson keeps talking. Doing so could easily turn the client off about working with you and cost you the sale.”
7. Ego. “Selling is a service business,” says Hopkins. “You must set aside your wants and needs to serve the wants and needs of others. Get the dollar signs out of your eyes when you’re with clients. If they suspect you’re pushing the sale because of what’s in it for you instead of what’s in their best interests, they’ll find another company to do business with.”
8. Not knowing how to close. To simplify the closing process, Hopkins suggests asking a direct question: “Will you be making your purchase today by cash, cheque or credit card?”
9. Not paying attention to details. If you skim over details or shortcut your presentation because you’ve done it so many times that you’re bored with it, you’ll lose sales,” he says. “Remember: Every presentation is new to your client. So give it with enthusiasm and without shortcuts, unless your client indicates certain details aren’t of interest to them.”
10. Poor fulfillment. “This ties into paying attention to details,” adds Hopkins. “If you or your company don’t have the practices and policies in place to properly fulfill the expectations of your clients, you’ll find yourself working harder and harder to get new business. Salespeople shouldn’t promise anything above and beyond the company standard. Everyone should be expected to meet or exceed it.”