Nobody is trying to fail at sales, but there are some aspects you could be missing out on that are tripping you up and causing your numbers to fall.
Let’s be honest, we know that failing at sales is not your goal, or anybody else’s for that matter. But without knowing some signs that can lead to failure, you might accidentally fall victim to subtle snares that have been known to catch even a seasoned salesperson off guard.
Of course, there are many things a sales rep could do to lose a sale: being rude, being too pushy, not being pushy enough, etc. However, the obvious faux pas that might be evidence of not being the right kind of person to be in sales in the first place aren’t the kind of failures we’ll be looking at in this article. Instead, we want to shed light on some of the finer lessons that are typically only learned after a few solid years of hitting the streets and lighting up your clients’ phones.
Question: Are you having trouble closing sales and struggling to figure out why?
Let’s take a look at some common causes that could be keeping you from crushing it.
1. You Are Your Own Assistant
Small businesses just starting out usually operate on a bootstrap budget. If you are a business owner doing your own phone sales, or a professional Independent Sales Rep (ISR), then chances are you have some experience juggling assistant-like tasks with closing sales. The trouble is, being a primary source of revenue means that you are losing money every time you are focused on non-revenue generating activities. The best way to open up your closing potential is to get an assistant to help manage your inbound calls and set appointments. Many small businesses have found that partnering with a professional virtual receptionist can be the perfect balance between being a flexible AND affordable resource.
2.) You Never Make Thank-You Notes A Priority
Many people believe thank you notes are a thing of the past, and in some ways, they may be right. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t have value. In fact, in a time where people are more likely to text or email before making a call, handwritten thank you notes arguably have more impact than ever before.
Test it for yourself and see what the difference is between sending handwritten notes and just shooting out a thank you email. If you find that the physical Thank You notes have a significant impact on client retention, but have too many clients to jot notes down for, you may want to consider a service like Bond. This company allows you to upload your handwriting, choose a stationary, type your letter, and send it to their handwriting robot that truly pens your note to paper before it gets shipped to your recipient.
3.) You Leave The Ball In their Court
Managing a book of sales means keeping a tight schedule and following up with clients. It can sometimes be difficult to get a prospect or client to commit to a time they will be available for your next call. Not getting a solid time that you can reconnect with them leaves the ball in their court. This can quickly result in you losing control of the schedule and the sale. If a client is pushing back on when they would be comfortable having a deeper sales conversation, let off the gas a bit and offer a date down the road where you will check in to see if their schedule has started to clear up. This can relieve pressure on both sides of the phone without putting you in a position to wait for them, or worse, lose track altogether.
4.) You Send Callers To Voicemail
As a sales professional, you can’t afford to miss an opportunity to connect with an interested client; especially if they actually make the effort to call you. If your caller gets put on hold by you or your team, or ends up going to voicemail for any reason, there is a chance you could lose them to someone more available. This may sound familiar, but solving this problem can be as easy as partnering with a professional call center service. Having a virtual receptionist answer your calls 24 hours a day while you close sales can give you the focus boost you’ve been looking for while making sure every sales lead gets the attention they deserve.
Final Thoughts:
Spotting subtle signs that you are off course from successfully managing sales can make all the difference when it comes time to close. If conversations are becoming difficult or you don’t feel like you are on your game, take a moment to evaluate your process and see if you can detect any holes. You’ll never reach your sales goals with a leaky ship.
More posts you might want to check out:
Using an Answering Service for Lead Capture