5 Prospecting mistakes salespeople must avoid

Mawuli Ocloo Business News Feb - 23 - 2016 , 12:37

Sales people constantly ask me about practical and at times, out-of-the-box prospecting techniques and methods.

My response to them is usually a question: “What do you mean by practical and out-of-the-box techniques? What prospecting techniques do you currently use and which ones work for you the best?

In majority of cases, I find that salespeople do not have much clarity about which prospecting techniques have worked well for them. It is usually the case of trying hard at all the prospecting techniques they’ve been taught or learnt.

In one of his articles on prospecting, Sean McPheat of MTD Sales Training International, opines that the solution for salespeople may not be what prospecting techniques they need to employ, rather mistakes they need to avoid.

He outlines five deadly prospecting mistakes that salespeople routinely make. Blunders, which he believes, can and have ended sales careers.

So take note of these five killers mentioned by Sean McPheat, from the least deadly to the most and avoid them like the plague!

Poor record keeping

Most sales people overlook the importance of keeping good activity records.

Prospects that slip through the cracks are often the difference between success and failure. Prospects you forgot to call, emails you didn't send or lost leads, are a fraction of what slips through your fingers.

If you are using post-it notes, an A4 pad, memory or the back of a cigarette packet for prospecting, you are losing money!

Even tools such as Outlook and Access cannot handle the complexities of professional sales prospecting.

You must become an expert with a CRM, (Customer Relationship Management) programme. Don't look at it as an expense because it will pay for itself many times over.

Failing to keep good records is a major mistake you can avoid by having a system in place.

Selling the product or service prematurely

The next prospecting mistake is to fall into the trap of selling the product or the service instead of the appointment.

Sometimes, this is due to a poorly structured appointment setting presentation. Other times, it is deliberate. Some sales people are looking for the easy sale; the person who says: "I've been waiting for you to call!

Please let me give you my money!" and this is a critical mistake.

When setting appointments, you must remember your objective is to sell only the appointment. You don't want to be evasive, but you must help the prospect understand that the answers to their questions are the reason why a personal meeting is necessary. And again, do not look for the lay-down-sale. Find qualified prospects and then----do your job!

Failing to get and use referrals

With all the "tricks" out there for getting referrals, the easiest one is to simply ASK FOR THEM. It is amazing so many sales people still fall short in this area, which is likely due to the sales person's lack of personal belief in their product. If you do not deeply believe in what you sell, it is hard to ask for referrals, especially from a prospect that did not buy.

Then there is the sales person who makes the sale and wants to hurry and leave or quickly get off the telephone. Take your time after closing a sale.

Make sure paperwork and details are correct and ask for referrals from everyone, including the "no-sales."

Then, when you get referrals from the no-sale,call them.

A huge mistake sales people make is they are afraid to call referrals they received from prospects who did not buy. Call all referrals without regard to their source.

The smile & dial approach

The second deadliest prospecting mistake is to come on with the old school, smile and dial approach. On the telephone, in person or by email, many sales people still use the overly enthusiastic, insincere, pep-rally approach.

Consumers today are educated and have heard the old sales pitch before and they are tired of it. Your approach should be relaxed, professional and sincere.

You need to lose that big phony smile and tone down your enthusiasm. There is a time when you will get enthusiastic such as when explaining benefits, but it is not during your initial approach.

Inconsistent work ethic

The number one deadly mistake in prospecting is to have an inconsistent work ethic. The sales profession is the most subjective business in the world. It is easier to fool yourself in sales than in any other profession.

At the end of the day or week, you may honestly believe that you called on a ton of prospects, made a bunch of calls and sent out a gang of emails. But what you think and feel will seldom match with the facts.

You cannot judge your performance by your emotions; you must rely only on factual data. This is another area a CRM will help. You have to know exactly how many prospects you called or flyers or emails you sent.

Then you must set prospecting activity goals and stick to them. If you say that you will make 30 prospecting calls a week, then don't think you did---know you did.

Also, immediately after a big sale or a good month, usually prospecting activity drops off dramatically. Set clear prospecting activity goals and use factual data to ensure you consistently meet them.

Avoid these five deadly mistakes and prospecting will become your friend not your foe.Until the next time, take care of yourself and happy selling!

Conclusion

There is a myriad of other projects that the trust has invested. There is no doubt that all these laudable investment initiatives or interventions are geared towards enhancing the partial income replacement of pensioners whose annual absolute growth is over 7,000.

It is envisaged that the trust will continue to branch into other sectors of the economy for the continuous quest to sustain the SSNIT Pension Scheme as well as boosting the economic and social development of Ghana.

While at it, it is also imperative for governments to stay off the funds of the trust. There are numerous reports about governments in the past and present interfering with the investment policies of the trust, a move that ends up locking funds that would have returned positive cash to improve the trust’s liquidity.

From every actuarial assessment it is evident that the scheme is sustainable and can stand the test of time all things being equal.