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3 Fatal Mistakes Salespeople Can Avoid

Everyday a dozens of people take the plunge into a career in sales. Unfortunately, a large majority of them will not make it past their first year. My book, "You're Going To Be Great At This!" is billed as being the book you'll wish you read before you started selling, and if you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to go to Amazon and get a few for Christmas (stocking stuffers, lol).

In the meantime, here are a few mistakes that I see when I watch salespeople. If you can catch yourself doing any of these, you can always make the adjustment.

  1. Listen more, talk less. We all know the saying that you have two ears and one mouth. It's true. Ask open-ended questions instead of "yes/no" questions, you and your prospect will have a discussion instead of a survey. For instance, "What do you like about ______?" or "How do you feel when ______?". These questions create a dialog that helps you tap into what your client really wants.  
  2. Network, network, network! Get out there and find people. Join organizations, like Rotary or Optimist. Volunteer at your place of worship. Getting in the trenches with fellow members of an organization will help forge a relationship better than talking over a cup of coffee. And don't think LinkedIn is the answer to all of your networking problems. It's great as a door opener but you'll still need to make a personal or phone appointment to make a real connection. 
  3. Ask for referrals/introductions. People are funny about giving referrals sometimes. I cover this in my book, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't ask. I prefer to reframe the referral discussion as a "introduction discussion", where I simply ask if someone would be willing to "introduce" me to their boss, co-worker, colleague, etc. You'll have to know who you want to be introduced to, so do a little research on LinkedIn to find our who your prospect knows. (DO NOT go through their Facebook friends. It's just creepy!)
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So there are a few tips of the trade. I wish you great success and remember, you're going to be great at this!

Chris Castanes is a public speaker and president of Surf Financial Brokers. If you'd like to learn more about having Chris speak to your sales or civic organization, visit www.ChrisCastanes.com .
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