7 deadly selling sins that extend the sales process

7 Things B2B Salespeople do to Extend the Sales Process

and What Can Be Done Instead

1. Fail to Qualify New Business Prospects

RemedyCreate an ideal customer profile—like a filter—that highlights the important characteristics of your best customers. Thing like dollar potential and access to the decision maker should be on the list. Failure to qualify often leads to a proposal to a prospect that does not have cash to spend or enough cash to invest in the type of solution they need. Too often these prospects turn into small spending secondary accounts that waste even more time!

2. Fail to Disqualify New Business Prospects After Initial Contact

RemedyQualifying prospects upfront using an ideal customer profile (ICP) makes sense; however, sometime it is obvious prospects are not worth your time after you talk with them.  Disqualifying prospects that do not meet your ICP after you have spent time with them makes even more sense.  It is a wise move to walk away early in the sales process and say, “I don’t think my products or services are right for you.” !

3. Use Email to Schedule the Next Appointment

RemedyWhy waste time sending an email to set an appointment? The best way is to simply set the next appointment when talking to the customer, and don’t leave until you’ve set up an appointment on both of your calendars.

4. Forget to Schedule the Next Appointment

RemedyAlways lock down the next appointment before ending an appointment—this is a no brainer that is botched by many sellers. Make sure you don’t fall for the “We don’t need to set and appointment, I’m always here” line that many customers use.

5. Neglect to clarify next steps in the sales process

RemedyMake providing a summary of next steps at the end of every meeting a priority and send an email of next steps following every meeting.  A next step summary that includes who will do what and dates will keep the sales process on track and moving.

6. Sell Below the Decision Maker

Remedy

Be sure to ask if anyone else will be involved in the decision making process. Do this early and often during the sales process.

7. Ignore the Buying Process

RemedyAsk the customer to explain their buying process. This is an appropriate question to ask during the first conversation with a customer after you feel they are a qualified prospect.

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