14 Signs You are a Sales Zombie
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14 Signs You are a Sales Zombie
by: Kelley Robertson
A recent editor's note in a sleep products magazine discussed how many people
suffer from poor sleep and the editor referred to these individuals as zombies.
Instantly, I thought of dozens of sales people I have encountered over the years
who could be classified as zombies, too.
Here are 14 signs that you might be turning into a sales zombie.
- You no longer ask high-value qualifying questions. Asking questions
takes too long and you'd rather spend your time talking about your product
so let's not waste time. Besides, prospects won't tell you the truth anyway
so it's better just to move past this step.
- You launch into your sales pitch as quickly as possible. Telling is
selling and if you're not talking about your product you will lose the sale.
- You make quick assumptions about your customers and prospects. "They
said no last time so I won't call them today" or "They can't afford our
product." Assumptions are deal killers and you need to avoid them.
- You use the same sales pitch with every customer. You have refined your
pitch so why so should you change it? It's been working just fine and
besides no one has complained. Plus, you're closing about 20 percent of your
sales opportunities.
- You frequently refer to the "good old days". Yeah, nothing like the good
old days when you could take a prospect out for lunch and close a deal over
a few beers. Or you could make a few calls and reach your quota. Times have
changed but you haven't.
- You don't seek clarification. Prospects and customer don't always
clearly articulate their thoughts but that doesn't matter because you
understand everything they say.
- You don't listen for underlying clues. Many people say one thing but
mean something else. If you're not listening for those nuances and
underlying clues, you are missing sales opportunities.
- You pitch your most popular/current product. We've all been there. The
latest product with all the bells and whistles has finally been released so
let's suggest that product to all of our prospects and customers even though
it may not be appropriate. At least they'll know about it, right?
- You don't clarify objections. You've been selling so long that you
"know" what someone means when they say, "You're too expensive" or "Let me
think about it". As a result, you just plunge ahead and rebut the objection
hoping that you will overcome it.
- You have stopped learning. You can't teach an old dog a new trick is
your favourite motto. Besides, sales is sales and you don't need to learn
anything other than the basics of your newest products.
- You believe that sales is a numbers game. The more doors you knock on
and the more calls you make, the more sales you make. While this may be
true, your time is valuable and you can invest more effectively. Focus on
talking to high-value prospect instead of pitching to anyone who will listen
or that you connect with.
- You believe that research is for scientists. Who has time to research
every prospect? You don't need to understand their business challenges or
how what changes are occurring in their company in order to close a deal.
It's just as effective to show up or make that call and pitch your latest
solution (see point 8).
- You think that price buying motivator. Let's face it; most buying
decisions are made based on the price of a product or service. People don't
care about value so let's just offer a discount and move on.
- You think that social media is just a fad. Who needs to blog, podcast,
or produce webinars or create a business presence on Twitter, LinkedIn,
Facebook or other social media sites? Besides, I don't have time to engage
in this social chit-chat; I'd rather make cold calls and appointments.
If you want to succeed in today's sales environment and increase your sales,
it is critical that you avoid becoming a sales zombie.
© MMXI Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales
professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and
profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing
to his free newsletter available at
www.kelleyrobertson.com. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at
sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at
905-633-7750 or
Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com
Contributor: Kelley Robertson
Published here on: 12-Jun-11
Classification: Sales
Website:
www.kelleyrobertson.com
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