Ten Mistakes That Kill Sales Opportunities

Here are ten mistakes you can make that will cost your deal.

Taking Shortcuts: Anything that you believe leads to a faster deal leads to a no deal. You can’t rush your buyer through the process because you are in a hurry or because you are behind on your number.
Asking for Unearned Commitments: You can’t ask for commitments that you haven’t earned. If you haven’t created the value to deserve the next commitment, pressing for that commitment will shut your deal down.
Poor Follow Up: Failing to follow up on the little commitments you make only proves you don’t care, that you aren’t detail-oriented, and you can’t be counted on. Deal-breaker.
Selling Without Dissatisfaction: If you can’t find or create a compelling reason for your prospective client to change, you aren’t going to make a sale. No deal.
Not Doing Discovery: If you don’t do the discovery work necessary to know exactly how to help your prospective client, you aren’t going to create or win an opportunity. It’s over.
Not Building Consensus: You have to believe me here. You aren’t going to win with a single stakeholder. You will lose if you can’t help your client build consensus. No votes.
Failing to Make the Ask: If you don’t ask for access to the people and information you need to win a deal, you will lose that deal. You cannot fear “the ask.” Not asking is the same as no.
An Inability to Articulate Value: You must be able to articulate the value that you and your solution creates. If can’t tell your client how they will be made better, you have no deal.
Failure to Provide Proof: Your prospect is going to want some proof that you are who you say you are, that you will execute. Maybe you need a fancy ROI calculator. Or maybe you need a reference. Zilch.
Being Transactional: Treating your prospective client as a means to an end is the fastest way to alienate them. And it’s a surefire way to lose. Brick.