Here is the challenge…
What are the TOP salesperson mistakes!
Take this opportunity to learn from each other. To help one another avoid mistakes. To be someone’s guide in the road one should not travel.
Post your “Top Sales Mistakes” counsel in the comments section including your learning’s.
Here is my Top 10 Sales Mistakes guidance…
- Never walk into a client meeting without doing your basic research. You will look like an idiot and the client will see you as wasting their time.
- Never keep your cell phone on. It is a distraction and sends a message to the client they are not important.
- Never say “Trust me.” If you have to say it…it is not true.
- Never sell what you can’t do! In fact, sell what you do well. Stay focused.
- Never travel to a client unless you know they can buy. Qualify!
- Never expect a client to buy from you. Who cares if you are a great company. Who cares if you think you have the best product. You still need to earn the business.
- Never lie to your client. All you have is your word.
- Never speak badly about your competition. Always create a differentiation between you and your competitors.
- Never assume being responsive and service minded is enough. Customers want thoughtful suppliers that improve their business.
- Never provide your services for free. If you do not value your services the customer never will!
What are your Top Sales Mistakes to avoid?
In the autumn of 2008, David MacLeod and Nita Clark were asked by UK’s Secretary of State for Business to conduct an in-depth review of employee engagement and determine if there was value in the concept. Specifically can employee engagement help organizations in down or globally competitive economies.
Their answer was an “unequivocal yes.”
Some highlights from the report:
Those organizations with the bottom quartile engagement scores had up to:
- 51% more turnover
- 51% more inventory shrinkage
- 62% more accidents
- 32.7% decline in operating income over 12 months
Those organizations in the top quartile saw:
- 12% higher customer advocacy
- 18% higher productivity
- 12% higher profitability
- Earnings Per Share (EPS) 2.6 times greater than the bottom quartile
- 19.2% improvement in operating income over 12 months
One bank found branches that had an increase in engagement levels saw a 16% increase in profit margin over those with lower engagement level scores.
Engaged employees take 2.69 sick days per year versus 6.19 days taken by those disengaged.
70% of engaged employees have a good understanding of how to meet customer needs, while only 17% of the disengaged do.
Other results include the impact employee engagement has on innovation and change. The verdict is in…ignore employee engagement at your own peril. Employee engagement is more than a touchy feely subject. Employee engagement is more than doing the right thing. Employee engagement is a real competitive advantage. Build your case now!
In a recent study, Performancepoint, LLC surveyed over 3000 people regarding Customer Engagement. What we found was very interesting.
For a while now companies have focused on brands and bei
ng unique. However that may not always be what the customer wants most. Many companies have spent a great deal of time and money on loyalty programs as well and that may not be what consistently drives business.
When asked “I am likely, if needed, to continue purchasing and/or working with this company” and “I am likely to recommend this company to a friend or colleague” being distinctive in the marketplace was not the most important factor these decisions and neither was a sense of pride in the brand.
Customers focused on three factors:
• Overall satisfaction with the company and its products and services
• Trust in the company
• Being treated fairly by the company
What should this tell us? It does not say that distinctiveness, branding and experience are not important. It also does not imply that loyalty programs do not work. What customers are most likely telling us is “Don’t forget the basics.” Many companies have focused so much on “experiences” they have forgotten how to handle basic customer service. Other organizations, in the midst of the recession, have pulled back too much and the customer feels like they are not getting a fair deal.
Amidst all of the financial challenges we face and the bells and whistles we add we must remember it is about relationships. Trust and fair treatment are key to building and maintaining relationships.
• How are you building trust?
• How do you demonstrate fair treatment to your customers on a daily basis?
• How have you built a culture that supports customer focus and service?
• How do you know you have solid products and services that will sustain your company over time?
Once you have answered these questions then maybe you should focus on branding, the “customer experience”, and loyalty programs.
Meaningful Work, Employee Engagement, and Other Key Employee Outcomes:
Implications for Human Resource Development
Below is the abstract to a recent research study on employee engagement. The link to the entire article is also available below.
Abstract
The Problem.
Meaningful work is underrepresented in current models and measures of work
characteristics. Ironically, past research suggests that meaningful work may have
substantive impacts on employee outcomes. The current study addresses this problem
by demonstrating the value of meaningful work in human resource development
(HRD) practices involving employee engagement.
The Solution.
A web-based survey of employed North Americans (n = 574) was conducted.
Meaningful work characteristics were compared to other work characteristics
as correlates and predictors of employee engagement, burnout, job satisfaction,
organizational commitment, and turnover cognitions. Meaningful work characteristics
had the strongest relative correlations with multiple employee outcomes. They also
predicted substantive variance in employee engagement while controlling for other
work characteristics in regression analyses.
The Stakeholders.
Since meaningful work contains themes of human development (e.g., self-actualization,
social impact), this variable represents an opportunity for human resource development
(HRD) practitioners to increase levels of employee engagement as a strategic leverage
point within organizations.
docs/Advances in Developing Human Resources.pdf
The following is a message from a coach to the parents of his team (I did take out identifying factors such as names):
I did share with the team my rules ( maybe they have discussed with you) these rules will get them pulled from a game very quickly:
1- Respect the coaches, never talk back
2- Respect your team and teammates….no player shall ever address another in a negative manner.
3- Poor sportsmanship to another team or Referee
4- Do not listen to coaching from your parents (during the game). This is very confusing for your son, we may be telling them to do opposite of what you are saying. Please trust us to make solid decisions.
5- Not playing defense, or not rebounding the basketball. Our entire team on the floor MUST defend, and ALL MUST rebound. These are areas that require effort and the lack of effort hurts the team.
In short, I will not allow our team or any boy on this team to lose dignity over a Basketball game. We may never win a game but they will learn the fundamentals, the team will become friends and we will play with integrity. I ask you support us as we embark on the year. I told the team to never fear making a mistake like: shooting an air ball, double dribble, bad pass etc. the key is how your son reacts, their attitude and his willingness to do the job. I have no doubt I will make mistakes and at times I will ask the team to forgive my mistakes.
This is a competitive team although you may not know it from the message. They play in a league and have the goal to win. What is amazing is that this message highlights some important principles for any team or organization:
1. Everyone is on the team and has value
2. Everyone is expected to perform
3. Mistakes are okay as long as we learn from them
4. Everyone should demonstrate respect and be treated with dignity
5. Play time is determined by your effort, your behavior, and then results
6. While each individual is important, no one individual is more important than the team
Everyone on a team should have a place/role. Everyone on a team should feel their contribution is valued.
Engagement and inclusion do not negate accountability they encourage it. An idea that sometimes gets lost in the effort of making everyone feel included. We are accountable not just for our work, but for our team and organization as well.
How are you positioning yourself, your team, or even your company? Are you engaging those around you? What about your employees? Great leaders know how to use words to motivate and educate.
Watch this short video to see how words make the difference!
The other day I went to Five Guys, with the family, for lunch and as I was waiting for our food I had to move out of the way for someone cleaning up.
He was sweeping the floors and I was standing by the peanuts. As I moved away, I realized that his job would never be finished. Everytime he swept someone was either dropping peanuts or shells on the floor.
I said to him "You are never finished, are you?" I was actually thinking doesn't the fact that you are never complete drive you crazy. Actually, I was thinking someone in his position probably gets frustrated with us constantly making a mess while eating. But he did not think that way at all. What he said to me was refreshing, thoughtful, and grateful.
"It is called job security." were the words he shared. Perspective is everything!
I just got an email that says “Thank you” in the subject line. Great who could it be from and why are they saying thank you.
The first line in the email says…”We love having you as a customer.”
And then it states, “We’d like to thank you for being our customer. To show our appreciation…”
Doesn’t that sound great? They want to demonstrate their gratitude. Well, actually, they want to sell me something.
The rest of the email continues…“we want to tell you about this special offer on…”
Talk about having the opposite effect. If you want to thank me then thank me. If you want to demonstrate appreciation then provide a gift of some kind. But do not say you want to and then try and sell me another service. It is disingenuous! It is self interested! And it is inauthentic!
Customer engagement and loyalty require transparency, authenticity and a sincere interest in your customer. Let’s leave these old sales tricks that are outdated where they belong…in the past.