18 Mistakes Sales Reps Make

By Ron LaVine, MBA
Accelerated Cold Calling Training, Inc.
Mastering the Art & Science of Cold Calling™

This is a list of 17 common mistakes sales reps make:
 
01. Talk too much.

02. Listen too little.

03. Ask the wrong types of questions at the wrong time.

04. Use close-ended questions instead of open-ended and vice versa.

05. Forget to ask permission to speak.

06. Talk over other people’s answers.

07. Call on the wrong people who have no authority to buy or influence the decision.

08. Speak to fast due to fear or because they feel uncomfortable.

09. Focus on their products rather than solutions.

10. Speak in a monotone or without enthusiasm or conviction.

11. Use a lot of wishy-washy words in a row like, could you possibly please, denoting a lack of confidence.

12. Don’t identify themselves, their company or what they do properly.

13. Leave their phone number only once and speak too fast.

14. Forget to spell and grammar check their writing.

15. Speak too slow sounding monotonous and boring.

16. Forget to ask for contact details (Name, Title, Email, Ext. reports to, boss’s boss and assistant.

17. Forget to set up a time and date specific action step.

18. Forget to be polite to everyone including assistants.

You can eliminate these mistakes by seeking first to understand and then be understood.

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Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Cold Calling Training, Inc., a live cold calling training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can receive a complimentary special report “How to Measure your Cold Calling Effectiveness” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine by entering your email address at http://www.ast-incorp.com. No spam ever is our policy. If you would like information on Mastering the Art & Science of Cold Calling™ – Live Cold Calling Training,  call Ron at 818-991-6487. This eZine compilation is © 2012 by Accelerated Cold Calling Training, Inc. All rights reserved. Please reprint this article in its entirety including the Reprint Permission.