Four Mistakes Sales People Make - #3

We’re all human beings and as human beings, there are some constants about us as a collective group. One of those constants is that, on some level – deep down on the inside – we really just care about ourselves. Oh c’mon, it is human nature – to a certain extent, we look out from ourselves in a “the world revolves around me” sort of way. In the third installment of my series, four common mistakes sales people make, the mistake here is forgetting about the “it’s all about me” characteristic that exists in our client.

Mistake #3: They immerse themselves in the wrong information.
A colleague of mine, Bob Coakley, president of Upgrade Performance Consulting, always uses the line, “so-and-so is really intelligent, just ask him.” During the sales call and in our desire as sales people to sell our stuff (and it is great stuff, by the way) we forget to make that connection with the customer and move right into talking about our products or services.

I find myself doing this too, I’ve prepared for the call, I’ve created my objective and agenda for the call, I get the client on the phone and off we go – let’s get down to business. It’s like the 3:15 race at Belmont, the bell rings, the gate opens and wham! – we’re headed down the track. I have to constantly reminding myself to s-l-o-w down, to talk a little bit first and ideally, engage in a subject the client knows and understands and THEY will do the talking.

Preparation
To avoid this mistake, we have to go back into our preparation. We need to add to our preparation process some “human” reconnaissance. This can be about the person we are meeting with, their company, their industry, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is to be prepared with this information so that you can connect with your customer. Some of the best resources to do this are on the internet. Services like Linked In, Zoominfo, Facebook and at the very least, Google are great ways to find “stuff” out.

I usually Google the name of anyone I am meeting with and my next stop is typically Linked In. You’d be surprised what you can find out. Also, if you happen to be meeting with your customer in person, look around their office for clues. I recently met with a potential new client and noticed that they had photos of landscapes hung in their office. I inquired if they had photographed the pictures and from there, we connected on a common interest we shared in photography. People tend to buy from people they like – preparing yourself with this human information is a great way to build trust and rapport, gain a closer connection with your client which will make them more receptive to what you have to say.

Think about what additional information you’ll need for your next sales call or appointment and where you can get it from – you’ll be surprised at what you can find. Good luck!