As manager of your business team, does it make you suspicious that you often hear the same explanations from your subordinates for their actions and failures? You should know that your instincts are probably right. These are probably only excuses and often simply lies. The server Inc.com provides this list of statements by sales reps that you should watch out for.
“The customer doesn’t care how much it costs.”
The customer always cares about cost. The question is does your sales rep just hope this is true, or have they not yet bothered to find out what the customer’s investment priorities are?
“I’ve got a great memory. I don’t need to take notes during meetings with customers.”
Experience shows that only what is written is given. Relying on memory in the business world only leads to promises and important events being forgotten.
“I’ve already made over 100 business calls today.”
Most sales reps exaggerate to their bosses the number of telephone calls they have made. If they say they have made a hundred, they have probably actually called only ten people.
“We weren’t successful because our competition had a better offer.”
This statement only shows that your competitor was better able to convince your customer. Your competitor just has a better sales rep than you do.
“I’ll make my quota. I’ll have most of my orders at the end of the quarter.”
This lie serves to mask the fact that the sales rep cannot meet the required volume of sales. Instead of praying for intervention from above, the rep should actively strive for better results.
“We lost the customer because of our high price.”
Wasn’t it simply that the sales rep couldn’t sell the benefits of your product?
“I haven’t called that customer yet because I’ve got it planned for tomorrow.”
If you have to ask several times, it is obvious that your sales rep is putting off calling the customer in question.
-kk-