If you can’t find or create a compelling reason for your prospective client to change, you aren’t going to make a sale. No deal.
1. Taking Shortcuts
Anything that you believe leads to a faster deal leads to a no deal. You can’t rush your buyer through the process because you are in a hurry or because you are behind on your number.
2. Asking for Unearned Commitments
You can’t ask for commitments that you haven’t earned. If you haven’t created the value to deserve the next commitment, pressing for that commitment will shut your deal down.
Related: The Two Kinds Of Tomorrows
3. Poor Follow Up
Failing to follow up on the little commitments you make only proves you don’t care, that you aren’t detail-oriented, and you can’t be counted on. Deal-breaker.
4. Selling Without Dissatisfaction
If you can’t find or create a compelling reason for your prospective client to change, you aren’t going to make a sale. No deal.
5. Not Doing Discovery
If you don’t do the discovery work necessary to know exactly how to help your prospective client, you aren’t going to create or win an opportunity. It’s over.
6. Not Building Consensus
You have to believe me here. You aren’t going to win with a single stakeholder. You will lose if you can’t help your client build consensus. No votes.
7. Failing to Make the Ask
If you don’t ask for access to the people and information you need to win a deal, you will lose that deal. You cannot fear ‘the ask.’ Not asking is the same as no.
8. An Inability to Articulate Value
You must be able to articulate the value that you and your solution creates. If can’t tell your client how they will be made better, you have no deal.
Related: How To Spot Hidden Opportunities For Sales Growth
9. Failure to Provide Proof
Your prospect is going to want some proof that you are who you say you are, that you will execute. Maybe you need a fancy ROI calculator. Or maybe you need a reference.
10. Being Transactional
Treating your prospective client as a means to an end is the fastest way to alienate them. And it’s a surefire way to lose.
Questions to ask
- What do you do that causes you to lose deals?
- What have you seen someone else do that cost them a deal?
- Which of these ten mistakes are you most at risk of making?
- How do you change that?
