Stop Sabotaging Your Sales: 5 Critical Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Are your sales stuck in a rut? Do you feel like you're working hard but not seeing the results you deserve? You might be falling into some common sales traps. This blog post explores five crucial mistakes salespeople make and provides actionable strategies to overcome them and boost your sales performance.
1. The StoryTeller, Not the Seller
Have you ever been on the end of a salesperson who wouldn’t stop talking? They are focused on their own agenda, spout features and benefits at you like they understand you and your business, and they never take a moment to understand what you want. This is a one-sided approach that creates a huge rift between the salesperson (who will be unsuccessful) and the potential buyer (who will definitely go somewhere else).
When a salesperson decides to tell rather than sell their chances of success are abhorrently low. Pitches don’t land. Opportunities go flat. Deals are lost. Prospects ultimately feel unheard, undervalued, and they go somewhere else to find a solution. So why do we default to this setting? We crave validation. We want to know that when we speak others connect with us. The irony is that if we really want to connect with people, we need to listen to them.
If this is you, don’t worry! You can change your ways. Remember that small changes today can produce great results over time. You need to practice active listening where you ask good questions to hear what kinds of things are of interest and importance to your prospect. At the Hunter Sales School we try to follow the 80/20 rule here, where you should listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time. So, the short-term fix and the long-term fix are both similar – both require you to think about the things you want to ask – yes, mental effort is required – and then listen like you actually want to hear the answers. This will have a dramatic impact on your conversations. It has helped our students dramatically increase their sales, some by over 200%!
2. Focusing on Features and Functions Rather Than Value
One of my greatest mentors often quoted the saying, “try not to be a person of importance, strive to be a person of value.” Salespeople far too often work to be important by showing off what they know. Here are all of the features and functions of the product that make it great that will clearly make your life better. This makes me think of Simon Sinek’s golden circle. When we focus on what, we talk a lot. When we focus on the why, we connect with people. The features and functions are the what. The value is the why.
When a salesperson focuses on features and functions there is a giant gap between what they know and what the prospect wants. There is no bridge between the two. The features and functions may or may not align with the needs of the prospect. Even if they do, sometimes it is hard to connect the dots.
How do you solve this? Asking questions that allow you to get to the core of the issue and connect the things that you offer to the needs that the person has. If you ask questions that go beyond the surface level of conversation you can really understand people and hear them. Then you can understand what they need and truly help them solve a problem that they have.
3. Glossing Over Objections
Have you ever had a great idea shot down? That sting is similar to what prospects feel when their concerns are dismissed. Salespeople sometimes push objections aside—out of fear, ignorance, or simply not hearing them—like a broken-down car. But unaddressed objections fester and ultimately kill deals.
When an objection is left unaddressed the prospect doesn’t hear another word the salesperson says. The salesperson then appears dismissive, unprepared, or unprofessional. When prospects feel their concerns are not being taken seriously and are less likely to move forward.
When objections arise, take the time to ask some questions and understand the real concern. Acknowledge the concern as valid and clarify what makes it a big deal for your prospect. Then address the objection directly and honestly.
4. Fear of Asking for the Sale
An interesting phenomenon that I’ve seen is very skilled salespeople who lead the customer down the path and they are at the point where they are ready to buy and the salesperson does not ask them for the business. The salesperson is then frustrated and the prospect walks away confused wondering why they didn’t walk away with what they wanted to buy.
Ask and ye shall receive is not just an adage from the Bible, it is also a necessary thing for all salespeople. If you do not ask for the business you will not get the business. If you do not ask you leave the prospect in limbo which can lead them to feeling confused or going and looking at competitors.
Knowing what you want in advance of the conversation is a key piece of sales. At the Hunter Sales School we call that a planned advance. If you have that written down beforehand then you are much more likely to ask for it, which will result in you closing more sales.
5. They Wing It
Have you ever walked into a sales conversation without any idea who you were talking to? It happens, more often than you might think. A misnomer among salespeople is that the best salespeople can sell any time anywhere and they do not need to prepare. Although there is an element of truth to the fact that a skilled salesperson does know a lot of tools and tactics to help them close the sale there is nothing that beats preparation.
Winging it leads to inconsistent sales performance. Without a plan you’re more likely to forget important information, miss opportunities to build rapport, struggle to come up with the right questions on the spot, and even struggle to effectively address objections.
The Hunter Sales school we believe in planning and preparation. We strongly believe that good planning and preparation will ultimately help more salespeople be effective which is why we developed the pre-call plan that everyone who goes through the Hunter Sales School is trained to use. A student who was trained on the pre-call plan called it ‘black magic’ because they achieved their planned advance and moved sales forward much more often when they prepared. In my experience, preparation beats skill, but the most successful salespeople are those who combine skill with thorough preparation.
Conclusion
Stop letting these common sales mistakes sabotage your success. By understanding these pitfalls and implementing the solutions we've discussed, you can transform your sales performance and start closing more deals. Remember, selling isn't about luck; it's about strategy, preparation, and genuine connection. Don't leave your next sales call to chance. Download our free pre-call planning template now and start approaching every interaction with confidence and purpose! Click here to access your copy and unlock your full sales potential. Don't wait – your future sales success starts with a solid plan.
