5 things salespeople do that irk decision-makers

On my blog, I addressed the importance of spelling and pronouncing a prospect’s name correctly, and a reader commented, “If someone is already irking me, mispronouncing my name really adds to the effect.” It got me thinking about habits salespeople do that irk decision-makers. Here are five that immediately spring to mind.

1. Salespeople who can’t articulate their value proposition. Too few salespeople can adequately and clearly state the value that their products or service offers. Forget what your marketing department tells you to say. Instead, speak in terms that matter to your prospect and help them see — within 15-30 seconds — how your product, service or solution benefits them.

2. Sales people who call to “touch base” or “check in.” Decision-makers are far too busy to talk to people who don’t have a genuine or valuable offer to consider. You need to ensure you are providing some type of value in every interaction you have with a prospect or existing customer.

3. Salespeople who go overtime. Most decision-makers spend the bulk of their day in meetings and have little tolerance for sales calls that go into overtime. Respect your prospect’s time and strive to finish every meeting early or ahead of schedule.

4. Salespeople who misrepresent themselves to executive assistants in order to get connected with the decision-maker. It boggles my mind that people actually believe this strategy helps them close a deal. A better approach is to befriend the executive assistant and enlist his or her help.