Kelley Robertson, a Canadian business consultant, recently wrote in the Sales Power blog about a study that uncovered “reasons your customers dislike salespeople.” The top ones include:
1. Not listening. This is the single most commonly cited issue in the survey. One of my bosses once told me that the perfect salesperson had “large ears and a tiny mouth.” When we don’t listen to our clients, we often fail to uncover their key issues and “unmet needs”. Furthermore, when meeting personally with a prospect, you also need to have “big eyes” and closely watch their body language for feedback on their acceptance, skepticism, or rejection of your narrative.
2. Talking too much. It still amazes me how many salespeople think that “telling is selling”. I’ve even seen this terminology cited in articles and blogs on selling. Ridiculous. Your prospect should do most of the talking during a sales conversation. It’s a lot like a top-notch radio interview (like Terry Gross, for example) where the interviewer feeds back questions based on the interviewee’s comments. You can still manage and control the sales interview with your questions, bringing out points that you can expand on once your prospect has revealed his key issues. It is definitely a talent that must be developed, so tie it with “listening” and control your discussion appropriately.
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. In addition, a natural confidence comes with the assurance that you are an expert on your product and company. And understand that training is a PROCESS, not an EVENT, so make sure that your company makes the appropriate investment of time and budget to assure that all those involved in the sales chain are armed with the best information about your products features, benefits, and attributes, and are CONTINUOUSLY learning.
4. Lack of follow-up. This is a personal pet peeve of mine. Nothing says “unprofessional” louder than lack of proper follow-up. Today’s communication tools give us every opportunity to keep our prospects “in the loop” regarding an issue you promised to follow-up on. If you do not have the answer to their issue by the time promised, send them a SHORT courtesy update promising a revised date for the information. Regardless, most prospects use follow-up as a barometer of how they will be treated if they become a client, so ALWAYS under-promise and over-deliver when making claims. Perception can become reality...
5. Lying. Believe it or not, there are still salespeople who will say anything to “get the sale”. You have probably encountered them when buying a car or an expensive electronics item from a mass merchandiser. Most industries are getting better at weeding out these unethical types. Make sure you do likewise with your team. Not only is lying unethical, but the simplest of Google research will often confirm the untruth, guaranteeing that you will not only lose the sale, but the reputation of your organization and brand will be negatively affected as well.
6. Failing to understand a prospect’s 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 situation, and the key issues they need to resolve.
7. Refusal to take "no" for an answer. Persistence should be a salesperson’s middle name, but there is a distinct difference between persistence and stalking! Nuance is the key; while you shouldn’t pack up and disappear at the first “no”, it is critical to respond to that “no” with a logical and complete answer to the client’s objection. At a certain point, however, the continued rejection of your argument becomes obvious, and the right move is to gracefully withdraw and regroup. Try to leave the door open for another discussion if certain issues are overcome or if a prospect’s needs shift. Try to think of “no” as “at another time under slightly different conditions”…some of which you control.
Continuous learning drives everyone to find a better way, every day. It’s not an expense; it’s an investment in continuous renewal. --Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of GE