10 tactics sales prospects hate to hear

We’ve all heard that little voice in the back of our brains that shouts “red flag…run!” when confronted with a salesman who seems less than trustworthy, whether you’re a salesperson or not. Was it their tone of voice, the way they dressed, their demeanor, or the way they talked that raised warning flags? When using these tactics sales prospects hate, a salesman can do little to recover a prospect’s confidence after it has been lost.

If this occurs often to you, it may be time to review your presentation, sales pitch, cold calling script, or whatever method of communication you’re using to contact prospects. Examine it and read it as many times as you can. Keep reading if you want to increase sales on your website and learn what sales prospects hate to hear.

Ten tactics sales prospects hate to hear

#1: Overwhelming a prospect with phone calls and emails

Calling prospects is something every company does and having a callback system makes it more convenient and easier. However, you’re coming on too hard if you phone a prospect three times a day and send two follow-up emails. You’re coming on too strong if you’re doing half of that. Don’t presume that your unrelenting “spirit” is seen as good or a sign of devotion and hard effort by your prospects. Your three emails over the weekend make you seem desperate and unorganized.

#2: Product overselling

Sales cycles used to be quite complicated. Because all meetings were held in person, the procedure was naturally slower and more burdensome. As a consequence, salespeople had a little more leeway in terms of what they could say to prospects. You could say anything you wanted to drive the process ahead – nobody will remember what you said in six months anyhow.

Because sales took so long to complete, a prospect’s objectives and product needs were often altered by the conclusion of the process. Because it took so long to develop and seal a contract, glossing over crucial aspects of the solution became a natural part of the process. Nowadays, it’s one of the tactics sales prospects hate the most.

#3: Telling rather than asking

We used to do a lot of telling: “You need this. You must have it.” Because we had all of the information and power in the interaction, our prospects had no option but to listen to us. Making assumptions is risky right now. Don’t constantly ask “yes” or “no” questions; instead, share your experiences and your point of view but never do so without first comprehending your prospect’s circumstances.

#4: Selling to make a sale rather than to build a connection

You’re focused on the sale and only the sale, but you forget that after the sale, you’ll still need to connect with the prospect, who is now a customer. Failure to recognize this might have far-reaching consequences for your customer list. Poor salesmen are just concerned with completing the transaction. Successful salespeople are concerned with both the sale and the connection.

#5: Moving at an excessive rate

Another element in which you must balance your sales instincts and retention instincts is the pace with which you progress through a sales process — the short game vs the long game. This is a challenging scenario; getting a one-call close provides a great thrill and seems to be a speedy victory. However, if you just look at the near term, you may overlook big warning indications that your prospect will not be a good client.

#6: Having an outdated website

Even if your company is robust in fact, a badly designed website might give customers the impression that your brand is low-quality or untrustworthy. When someone views your website, they are looking for confirmation that you are reputable and knowledgeable in your subject. And if the web page design that serves as the face of your company does not represent this image, you may lose revenue and harm your brand’s reputation. Besides redesigning your website, exit popup software could significantly improve your sales.

#7: Never ask questions

To get to know someone, ask questions… and then listen. More inquiries are required to get to the heart of the prospect’s requirements and capacity to purchase. What problem does your product or service address for the prospect? Is there a budget? How much time will they have to make a decision? These and other better inquiries can assist you in getting to the root of the issue you’re attempting to address for your prospect.

#8: Making each prospect go through the same sales procedure

It is archaic and impractical to expect every prospect to behave in the same manner throughout the sales process. Prospects may be ready to sign on the dotted line halfway through your discovery call, while others may need to speak with your lead engineer, their lawyer, and five executives before making a decision.

#9: Attempting to use LinkedIn to sell them something

Are you looking for one of the tactics sales prospects hate and classify you as a pushy salesperson? Then, send your prospects a LinkedIn invitation, and as soon as they accept, attempt to pitch them on your services. When someone does this to me, I shudder and the first thing I want to do is detach from them. I’ve never met a prospect who felt this was acceptable, but I’ve met plenty of salespeople that do. Of course, their reaction is, “Well, once upon a time, I got someone to reply to me.” Yes, but how many times have you totally turned off a potential customer before ever speaking with them? Congratulations on winning the fight but losing the war.

#10: Attending trade shows

Going to trade events, putting up displays, devising inventive methods to lure visitors to that exhibit, and scanning hundreds of badges? It’s one of the tactics sales prospects hate besides being worn out. It’s also unlikely to generate enough high-quality leads to justify the expense. You’ll be a distant memory by the time you follow up on those badge leads. Also, consider it. Do you really want email addresses that are solely supplied to you so that the lead may stock up on conference swag?

Conclusion

Sales make the world move – it’s been this way since commerce was invented. However, sales is also a process that serves those that it targets – the consumers. Depending on how prospects respond to certain sales tactics, businesses need to adjust their approach. Only by doing this can a company ensure a constant flow of revenue. In this article, we explored the current tactics sales prospects hate to hear from representatives. As time passes, these tactics will be replaced by others. This is why it is essential to keep up with ongoing sales trends. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to keep following the ConvertMore blog.