Hard sell: solutions to the 21 biggest sales problems

Entrepreneur, August, 1997 by Robert McGarvey

9 Blowing the sales presentation

Tom Antion is a popular Landover Hills, Maryland, sales speaker. His solution:

Practice, practice, practice. Do mock sales presentations. It amazes me that companies spend tons of money developing products, services and markets, then lose deals because they haven't polished their sales presentations. Don't let it happen to you. Practice in front of an audience - whether it's one person or 100. The more you practice now, the better you'll do when you're actually going for the money.

10 Not knowing your prospect's "hot button"

Pam Lontos' solution:

No matter what the prospect says, the reason he or she will buy is that you push a hot button. If you don't push it, they won't buy. What's a hot button? It's the emotional motivators behind a purchase. Know the desired end result of a purchase, and you know the hot button. Try to sell flowers by stressing how pretty the roses are, and it won't work. Tell the customer "Your wife will love this bouquet," and you've pushed a hot button. How do you find the hot button? Ask questions until the customer tells you what he or she really needs. You want to uncover the emotions underlying the purchase. Once you know those needs, direct 80 percent of what you say to the hot buttons. That's the way to make prospects comfortable about buying what you're selling.

11 Not knowing how to close the sale

Pat Weber, speaker and trainer for management consulting firm Professional Strategies Inc. in Williamsburg, Virginia, is a professional sales trainer. Her solution:

You've satisfied the customer's needs and concerns, and he or she believes you Can solve the problem. So why isn't a sale the next step? Many salespeople simply don't ask for the final decision. It's as though they forget what their ultimate goal is: to get the customer's business!

For some people, "closing" sounds negative. Try reframing your thinking to something more positive, such as "deciding." As you're talking with a customer, build in the close by having fun with it. Say something like "So how many do you want? We have it in a rainbow of colors; do you want them all?" Ask them several times in a fun, nonthreatening way. You're leading them to make the decision. You're having fun yourself. And you're doing your job.

12 Not doing your homework

Brian Tracy, author of Advanced Selling Strategies (Simon & Schuster), is one of the nation's most acclaimed sales trainers. His solution:

Research is critical to successful selling today. You must understand the customer's business before your first meeting. If you do, you will be much better prepared to meet the customer's needs, and the customer will be impressed that you did your homework. Doing the research shows that you are a serious person.

How do you do this research? The Internet is a powerful tool, making it very easy to find information about a business. But there are libraries and many other ways to do research (call the company or look up newspaper articles). However you do it, do it! It's essential for selling today.