Customer communication mistakes to avoid in sales

The success of sales, today, is not necessarily strictly connected only to the quality or affordability of products. And even with large investments in advertising the positive sides of your offer, there is one other aspect that is taking over. Without a good customer experience, you won’t be able to connect properly with your prospects. And, establish a base of loyal customers while trying to make the desirable profit. The reason for this lies in huge competitiveness across all types of markets. Technically, if everyone is producing with a similar quality, only those persistent in providing quality customer care will make the most success. To ensure you are doing your best to improve your sales, it’s necessary to understand what customer communication mistakes to avoid in the process.

Common customer communication mistakes you shouldn’t ignore

For every part of the sales process, there are sets of rules that have to be followed. Take a few thoughtless steps off and you may find yourself in an unwelcoming situation. This especially applies when dealing with customers online or over similar communication channels. Of course, you can integrate tools like the ConvertMore click-to-call service for a website, to help you increase the number of potential customers. But, without exceptional customer service and communication with a personal touch, you won’t be able to establish lasting relationships with potential clients. In return, your call service may fail and actually decrease the efficiency of your sales, overall.

To offer a genuine satisfactory experience, here is a list of customer communication mistakes you can avoid:

1. Not preparing prior to contact
2. Selling for the sake of selling
3. Talking without listening
4. Turning into a script-boy
5. Not using personalization
6. Exaggerating
7. Failing to offer promotions
8. Closing communications without feedbacks and follow-ups

#1 Not preparing prior to contact

Hypothetically, not that it’s impossible but it doesn’t seem appropriate to be able to sell products you know nothing about. Yet, many sales representatives rush into filling out the quotes without thoroughly arming themselves with the right knowledge. And this doesn’t include only information about the product itself. It also includes information about your contacts, their preferences, the right tools, and even the potential “plan B”. You can boost website sales fast with conversion rate optimization and combine it into an effective sales and communication process. But only if you take enough time to prepare before contact. This is the only way to avoid miscommunication and awkward moments of silence due to confusion.

#2 Selling for the sake of selling

Be honest – in an ideal situation, as a salesman, you will be selling something you believe in. However, since we don’t live in an ideal world, many business representatives are forced to do it generically. But, that doesn’t mean you should be having the same unmotivated approach. If a customer gets an impression you are just delivering your generic non-enthusiastic pitch, you will only face indifference. Also, you should not try to sell products to clients that don’t need them, only to mark a call. Because, even if you succeed once or twice, it’s time-wasting and not exactly the right long-term strategy. Even worse, people who buy products they don’t need will never be satisfied with it. As a result, they may hurt your reputation by complaining to others or even on social media.

#3 Talking without listening

Before you start giving your rehearsed speech, remember that customers also have something to say in the conversation. Of course, selling requires talking, but, stop for a moment and listen to what your customers are asking. Remember, the conversation is two-way communication, and it doesn’t work if only one side leads. Quite often, customers will appreciate it if you just listen to them and answer their questions for a while. Not only it will help to establish a better relationship, but you will also gather important data about their needs.

#4 Turning into a script-boy

Regarding the previous case, the most notorious mistake is failing to go off the script. Customers require human interaction. They will not look kindly to a robotic conversation, where you only declare to them what you have in scripts. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should go wild – scripts are a necessary part of the process. But, always be ready to improvise when you feel it might help the communication. If you are positive and are giving them a unique and personalized experience, you are increasing your chance for success.

#5 Not using personalization

Speaking of personalization, it’s an exceptionally important part of customer communications. This is where the information you have in advance can help you. Everything from the name to the interests, preferences, and needs can help you establish the right flow. You will show them an interest in their requirements without hesitation to take the time to properly help them. As a result, the overall satisfaction throughout the casual and informative conversation can only benefit you. Of course, bear in mind that some prospects prefer formal communication. But, that’s why the prior research is there for.

#6 Exaggerating

Avoid exaggerating claims in conversation. Even if your product is among the best on the market, overconfidence is rarely met with approval. Basically, you don’t always know what your customer exact expectations are. Well, to be more precise, not at first. If representatives exaggerate the capability of the product, for example, they risk disappointing their customers. Even worse, customers will immediately take it as a lie and lose trust in your business. For the best results, always strive to be objective. And sometimes, promising less only to deliver more can be a much smarter tactic.

#7 Failing to offer promotions

Another regular mistake among customer service representatives is forgetting to offer promotions. Quite often, the customer is on the edge of decision, and a lot can depend on the price. If you find them hard to convince, giving them some kind of promotion or discount might work in your favor. In essence, it’s always better to get one loyal client through promotion, than none at all.

#8 Closing communications without feedbacks and follow-ups

Finally, never miss the opportunity to ask for feedback. Even if it’s not a successful conversation, you might get a better insight into your mistakes. Another reason is, you will learn about prospects’ expectations, and find more suitable tactics for the next similar cases. Also, follow-up contacting after service is one of those methods that can positively seal your relationship. It basically demonstrates that you care about your customers, unlike others who are there only for the time of conversation.

Every good customer service begins with polite, transparent, honest, and positive communication. That’s why, if you want your business to flourish, it’s vital to understand which customer communication mistakes to avoid in sales. However, the number of mistakes goes far beyond the scope of this article. Everything is changing over time, especially business operations and procedures. To be able to cope with those changes, follow the trends and best practices, and your sales will certainly improve.