Whether you call yourself a marketer , a product representative, or any of the many euphemisms, if you need to fill quota , you’re a salesperson. Below are the tactics most likely to backfire on you and prevent you from making a sale.
1. Being overly touchy – feely.
Personal Space : no negotiation here, it must be respected . Sure, a touch is a great way to connect with people but that only works if they like you.
Unfortunately, this only works if they like you-and by default, people distrust salespersons (it’s a harsh reality you have to deal with). Back off and stop trying to touch people without their permission, especially if there is no need to touch them.
2.Hounding People
Sure you’ve been taught that any door that’s half open is an opportunity but when you call and email and… well, you get the picture… you interrupt people’s lives. The more you interrupt, the more they’ll remember —to avoid you like the plague.
Yes you have quota ,and yes, you need to fill it to keep your job. But Sales can be like the game of love — the more desperate you seem to be , the less successful you will be.
3. Bugging people about their personal lives
Yes, you need to get to know your client to sell effectively , but clients also have the right to privacy. If you sense your client being reluctant to divulge personal information, stop pushing.
4. The “I know your mom/ dad/sister/ best friend/dog” tactic,a.k.a the namedrop to armtwist ‘ tactic.
Just because you know know someone your intended client knows does not mean they are obligated to buy from you .The worst is when you claim to know someone and turn out not to know that person at all. Go ahead and use your acquaintance to secure an entry with the client but do not ever abuse your acquaintance’s name . Remember, if the prospective client gets annoyed, your acquaintance can easily say it’s your fault and twist the story around.The client will believe the acquaintance all the time never you.
5. Lying about the product and knowledge of it.
Outright lies are just plain unethical and will eventually kill your reputation and sales. But if you don’t know something about your product,shouldn’t you do research ? Otherwise ,graciously tell your client that you can verify the information for him or her promptly get back to him or her with what you’ve found.
6. Spamming People
One of the dumbest email tactics is to spam people-especially if someone on the list happens to be from your competition! Fine, do a mass mailing but try to at least look at your list of recipients. Sending email to a competitor just makes you — and your company or product look stupid.
A related tip is to check your grammar and spelling. Nobody wants to buy from someone who can’t even be bothered to write well — or , in a classic boo-boo, misspells the name of their own product.
7. Physical Harassment
Blocking the doorway, following people, even offering to accompany them home if they say they want to think about your offer,is rude and illegal , Just don’t do it.
if you wind up in front of a police desk, you won’t be able to extricate yourself easily.If someone is moving away from you, let them go.
The Most Important Consideration
In the end , as one marketer said, “sale is not manipulating someone to buy something they neither want or need. This is a misconception. Yes there are horrible sales people but they don’t represent the entire profession. Selling is the process of identifying needs, desire and preferences and providing solutions to meet them.” Identify the need and fill it. If you are truly out to help the customer ,then you are on the way to filling your quotas.
Momentos/Ideas : Puzzling, Awe - Inspiring 