There are 5 things you must NOT do during a sales call.
First, don’t argue. Remember, the customer may not always be right, but they are never wrong. People hate to be told they are wrong, even when it is obvious that they are. You can and should find a way to say that you can see how they could feel the way they do, but others have found things different, without offending them.
Second, forget your personal opinions about things of a political or religious nature in a sales call. You probably do feel strongly about your convictions, but so do your prospects. You’re not trying to proselytize them; you’re trying to do some business with a new customer. I am a Christian and don’t care who knows it, but I don’t talk about it unless I have some clue or hint that my clients might have similar beliefs.
Third, don’t knock your competition. It’s just not necessary. You should definitely know very well the details and differences between your product and your competition. At the same time, though, you should concentrate on what you know are your product’s strong points that the competition can’t touch. If the competition is not mentioned, don’t mention it either.
Fourth, avoid overselling. This happens when you say your product can do something it cannot. You cannot afford to do or say anything that might shatter the trust between you and your prospect. It’s best to use an example of an experience that one of your client’s has had. Repeat what you have heard them tell you. It’s easier for your prospect to believe a wild claim from an actual customer than from you.
Fifth, avoid assuming authority you don’t have. This happens when you tell someone you can give them a discount or speed up delivery when you really have no idea if you can. When you have to go back and confess you overstepped your bounds, you have destroyed whatever trust you may have built up between you and your prospect.
Not only must you do things right, but the other half of the battle is not doing anything wrong. Of course I’m sure that you could find more things that are best to avoid during a sales call, but if you can remember these five common sense things NOT to do during a sales call, you’ll keep from turning off prospective clients and give yourself a much better chance at closing the sale.