Top 10 Lousy Sales Approaches

Every once in a while I receive a comment on a post that is frightening in its honesty. That happened last week, big time in my recent post "12 More Things to Avoid on a Sales Call". (Check out comment #7.) I've taken that comment and filled it out a bit, and added my suggestions for fixing each approach. Here we go:

• Lousy Approach #1. The Good Ol' Boy. Example: "Hey, ol' buddy, how's it shakin'?"
  Reaction: "You are nice, but I do not have to be."
  Fix: There's a fine line between friendly and smarmy. Here's what works for me: I think of the prospect as a friend of a friend rather than a pal.
• Lousy Approach #2. The Assumption. Example: "Everyone in your industry wants this."
  Reaction: "Please assume I am not interested. I have your contact info."
  Fix: Be confident in your product, but don't assume the prospects needs it. Remember: when you "assume" you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me."
• Lousy Approach #3. The Therapist. Example: "Tell me about yourself."
  Reaction: "Do your own homework. At the very least, read our website."
  Fix: Research the prospect company and contact on the web and start the conversation with a relevant observation based upon that research.
• Lousy Approach #4. The Razzle-Dazzle. Example: "This is the next generation, state of the art..."
  Reaction: "We do not have six million dollars sitting around idle."
  Fix: Determine whether the prospect has a real need, then suggest a solution if appropriate. And make sure you edit out the buzzwords.
• Lousy Approach #5. The Rude Rep I. Example: "Did I wake you up?"
  Reaction: Unprintable.
  Fix: Don't react defensively to a prospect's coolness to your sales call. Instead, become curious about what's going on with the customer's emotions.
• Lousy Approach #6. The Rude Rep II. Example: "I'm taking this deal to your boss."
  Reaction: "I will definitely say no on your way back down to my level."
  Fix: If, rather than calling high in the first place, you start with a gatekeeper, you must sell the gatekeeper, then get the gatekeeper to help you sell the boss.
• Lousy Approach #7. The Monte Hall. Example: "Let's make a deal for these remnants."
  Reaction: " If it didn't have value to me before, why will it have value now?"
  Fix: Only attempt to sell remnants and overstock if the prospect has indicated a prior interest or if business conditions have changed so that they become valuable.
• Lousy Approach #8. The Scalp Collector. Example: "I am not going to quit until I have a piece of you on my wall."
  Reaction: "Who let the dogs out?"
  Fix: Customers don't like hungry sales pros, so stop focusing yourself and your quota, and start focusing on the customer and the customer's needs.
• Lousy Approach #9. The Discounter. Example: "If you won't buy at this price, I'll give a better price."
  Reaction: "Obviously what you are selling has no value so you can sell it at any price."
  Fix: Never use discounts as a last-minute closing tactic because they destroy your credibility. Discounts belong at the beginning of the sales cycle.
• Lousy Approach #10. The Rude Rep III. Example: "There is no way you can't do this unless you're just too stupid."
  Reaction: "I am so stupid I accidentally hung up without saying goodbye."
  Fix: If you can't respect the customer's ability to make an intelligent decision, then you are too arrogant to be successful in a sales career.