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5 Answers
A few classics:
Assuming you know what the customer wants before she tells you
Calling back outside of the time the client gave you because it's convenient to you
Forgetting to follow up because you don't think there's a deal there
Putting the product ahead of the need
Not returning calls promptly
Answering a question with a question so you don't have answer it
Great question Lauren, we can start a take off on the "7 Deadly Sins." Here are some that come to mind:
1. Arrogance.
2. Failure to keep learning and developing yourself as a sales professional.
3. Focus on making your numbers, not what you do for the customer.
4. Trying to get the customer to buy something they don't need.
5. Lying--misrepresenting the capabilities of your products and services.
6. Failing to respect your customer.
7. And, of course, discounting.
All of the answers so far are excellent and on target. I would add one of my favorite pieces of simple advice -- one that is useful in many business matters:
"Never be desperate."
Desperation will almost always lead to bad decisions and outcomes, like:
- Matching or beating prices at the expense of profit.
- Making promises you can't keep, just to win the business, then hoping you'll figure it out later.
- Setting a bad precedent that will come back to bite your company again and again (the "slippery slope" phenomenon).
- Making yourself, your product and your company look "cheap and easy."
Be a good and professional salesperson, do the best you can to win customers and their business, but don't slather, drool, sweat and beg. Know the line between being a go-getter and being desperate. Your prospect/customer will most certainly see the difference.
You might be interested in this article I recently wrote on the topic:
http://www.bnet.com/blog/customer-relationship/does-your-business-look-too-de...
The “soft sins” that nevertheless cost embarrassment, sales, and sometimes careers …
Personal and/or corporate hubris
Forgetting that we have two masters … the customer and our own company
Paying more attention to the competition than to the customer
Mistaking activity for results
Viewing selling as combat, and using verbiage associated with war and violence
Going “rogue” in communications, such as by blogging personal opinion as the company’s position
Here's a few examples:
1. Not knowing your product.
2. Not having flexing style with customer.
3. Negative attitude.
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