The Problem Solver: Are You Selling Or Sinning?

Avoid the 5 deadly sales sins and reap the rewards!

Did you know the term "sin" originated from an archery term? It was formed from the sound the string makes when it leaves the archers hand, "S-I-N." The master archer would stand behind the student archer and say, "You are sinning high, low, left or right." The student archer would then make whatever correction was needed. Today, many salespeople are sinning in their professional sales and marketing efforts, but they aren’t correcting their stance. Steven Lloyd, author of the new book Selling From The Heart (Sterling & Pope Publishing Corporation, 2000, ISBN: 0-9678616-0-8, $15.95), says that there are five deadly sins that will break a sale every time.

1) Slam dunking the prospect Many salespeople even make jokes about how they "slam dunked" the prospect on the first call. Do these salespeople not know that people feel their intention? More than ever, we as a consuming public are growing in both our knowledge of products and services, as well as our people skills. We are able to now look beneath the surface of the smiling face and "sincere looks" to the heart of the presenter. The one-call sales approach is rapidly being replaced by the customer relationship buying style.

2) Fake it until you make it This approach was very popular for many years. Before the Internet and the light speed at which consumers now get information, salespeople could just, "make it up" and few people had the time or the resources to check your facts. Now, even if you make the sale based on inaccurate or misinformation, your customer may cancel after they do some post sale research. So, more than ever, KNOW YOUR FACTS AND BE HONEST!

3) Poor follow up and follow through More than ever, customers today are testing salespeople to see if they are working with a real pro or someone who just wants to make a quick sale. Lloyd suggests the 3rd call rule - salespeople do not get through at all until the third call. Around 80% of all sales are made after the 3rd "No." Eighty percent of salespeople stop trying after the 1st "No." If selling was as easy as making calls and having 80% of the prospects say. "Yes" on the first call, commissions would either be 80% less or we would put low paid people on the phones calling to "sell" products and services. Selling has always been difficult. That is the reason that professional salespeople have long since passed doctors as income earners to hold the highest income status in the world. Just keep in mind that if you already have two "No" responses, you are most likely very close to a sale so KEEP CALLING!

4) Poor prospecting skills There is an old saying: "The times they are a changing!" Well, if you have not noticed, the times have already changed! The turn of the calendar from 1999 to 2000 did a lot more than add one more day to our lives. It changed the entire world’s mindset. People are now a leap ahead in their thinking. When was the last time you took a sales training course? Here is a better question. When was the last time you studied with someone who is still in the field selling? If you do not invest 3% of your gross earnings in professional training every year (as the 20% of both top performing salespeople and the top 20% of organizations do), you will very soon find yourself slipping farther and farther back in the sales performance ranks. There is no substitute for KNOWLEDGE AND STAYING CURRENT!

5) Lack of personal motivation Being excited every single day of your life is not only one of the best and most productive sales tools you will ever have, it is the best way of live life. Adding a simple smile to your face is the gift you give yourself by giving it away to others. Did you know that it actually takes less energy to smile than it does to frown? You also fire off very powerful bio-chemicals within your mind and body that actually make you feel good. Try it all day today and you will be amazed and delighted how much better you feel and perform. Let yourself get excited about what you sell, where you live, and who you are as a person. If you don’t become your own best friend and supporter, who will? Remember, any fool can find fault like there is a reward for it. It takes someone creative with real value to look for the good and sell it!

"Once you have discovered the five deadly sales sins, you can avoid them. Soon you will gradually start to experience your sales in a whole new way," Lloyd declares. "They will take you on a whole new and exciting result. You will be building relationships with your customers, not just trying to sell them something so that you can make a living. Avoiding the sins of selling will take you way past marking a living and well into designing a life that includes wealth and happiness, honesty and integrity."