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Recent research uncovered almost eighty reasons why
customers dislike salespeople. Here are the top seven.
1. Not listening. This was the most cited reason
customers dislike salespeople. Too many salespeople
neglect to listen to what their customers or prospects
say which means they fail to address the key issues
that their customer has stated as being important. I
remember an interaction with a couple of salespeople a
few years ago. One of them asked some great
questions to learn more about my particular situation.
However, his counterpart did not listen to my
responses, and as a result, his solution did not address
my business challenges and buying requirements. In
fact, his presentation was so far off-base, I abruptly
called an end to the meeting. Time is a precious
commodity for people and when you don’t listen you
disrespect your prospect.
2. Talking too much. It still amazes me how many
salespeople think that telling is selling. I see this in
virtually every type of sales environment from B2B to
B2C to Retail. My personal belief is that your prospect
or customer should do most of the talking in a sales
conversation. Sales people react to this idea by saying,
“But if they’re doing all the talking how can I sell my
product?” The key is to let your customer do enough
talking so that you can properly present a solution to
their problem or situation.
3. Lack of knowledge. In today’s information-rich
world, there is no reason for a salesperson to lack
knowledge about the products and services they sell. I
was recently impressed by the person who gave us an
estimate on a new roof for our house. He knew his
products and was able to speak intelligently about them
and the differences between each. I know that the lifecycles
of many products are very short and that many
companies introduce new products at an alarming rate.
However, if you don’t know enough about your
products, you are going to lose your customer’s
respect, and in all likelihood, the sale. Do yourself a
favor and invest the necessary time learning about your
products and services.
4. Lack of follow-up. Many sales people say they will
do something and fail to follow through. This ranges
from promising to get information to taking care of a
problem or concern. Many people use this as a
barometer before they make a final buying decision.
Here’s how.
A potential customer asks for a particular piece of
information and the sales person promises to deliver it
by a certain date. The deadline passes and the
prospect has to call and remind the salesperson.
Because the sale has not been finalized, warning
signals sound in the customer’s mind. After all, if the
sales person is this slow to respond BEFORE the sale
is made (the courting stage), how long will it take him to
respond AFTER the sale (the marriage)?
Lack of follow up results in lost sales. A person contacts two or three companies about a particular item
or project. All three submit a quote but only one makes
the effort to follow up. Who is more likely going to get
the sale?
5. Lying. “I don’t care about the customer and I’ll tell
them anything I have to in order to get the sale.” Believe it or not, I heard this comment from a
participant in one of my sales training workshops.
Unfortunately, the number of sales people who lie or
intentionally mislead their customers is staggering. This
behavior includes; overstating the capabilities of your
product, stretching the truth, or giving people the wrong
information. Almost everyone has bought a product
from someone who was less than truthful, and as a
result, has become more skeptical with their buying
decisions.
6. Failing to understand their needs. This is an
extension of the first two reasons customers dislike
salespeople. When a sales rep talks too much and
listens too little, they don’t get a full understanding of
their prospect’s situation. I have worked and interacted
with thousands of sales people over the years, both as
a trainer and a buyer and I can state without hesitation
that a mere twenty percent of them actually take the
time to understand their customer’s needs, situation,
concerns, etc. And it is this group of individuals who are
the most successful.
7. Refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer. Almost
everyone in sales knows the importance of persistence.
However, there is a fine line between persistence and
stalking. While you shouldn’t drop your efforts after the
first ‘no’, it is critical to recognize that you won’t gain
anything by pressuring people. In many cases, the
reason someone says ‘no’ is because they don’t see
the value in your product/service or because they are
not a highly qualified prospect.
Sales is an honorable profession. Stand out from your
competition by avoiding these behaviours
.
© 2010 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
Get your FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to Kelley's free newsletter, "59 Seconds to Sales Success" at www.Fearless-Selling.ca. Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals close more sales at higher profits. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. Contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca.
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