Sales is full of pithy sayings that pass for pearls of wisdom. Trouble is, while such sage advice does contain kernels of truth, they’re also part myth — and you need to make sure you’re team isn’t becoming a victim.
Blindly following these myths can cost your company dearly.
Share these four bits of common sales wisdom — and the myths that lurk within them — at your next sales meeting.
Myth No. 1: “Selling is selling – a good salesperson can sell anything“
We’d like to believe this one, but different skill sets are required when it comes to making big-ticket sales versus smaller sales — and not every salesperson has them all.
When selling small, salespeople do most of the talking and may win the business thanks to their high energy, enthusiasm and glowing product descriptions.
But when it comes to big-ticket deals, prospects do most of the talking — and you have to be a great listener. Salespeople need to then be able to pinpoint exactly what it is the prospect needs and explain how the product/service being sold can meet those needs.
Myth No. 2: “Always call high”
Just because you can get appointments with top management doesn’t mean you’ll close the sale. A better strategy: Calls should target the level of a prospect’s organization where the problems are occurring, which is generally lower in the organization.
Once you understand the prospect’s problems, then it’s OK to move up the ladder or try to get someone on the inside to carry your sales message — and solution — to top management.
Myth No. 3: “To get more orders, make more calls”
There are two sides to this one. If you sell lower-cost products and services, making more calls generally translates into more orders.
But when it comes to big-ticket items, there may be a negative correlation between the number of calls made and the number of sales closed. Reason: To increase the number of calls you make, you’ll have to cut back on researching prospects and call preparation.
Myth No. 4: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”
First impressions are critical to the small, one-call sale. But in larger, complex sales, there’s no correlation between openings and sales success.
You still want to make a good impression, but many prospects will overlook a poor first showing — if they think you can solve the problem.
Adapted from Getting Partnering Right: How Market leaders Are Creating Long-Term Competitive Advantage by Neil Rackham