When sales mistakes happen, they can end up damaging client relationships or causing you to lose accounts altogether. Even if you’re a seasoned sales pro, you may be making some common missteps that you don’t even know you’re making.

Sales expert Anthony Iannarino says that most of these blunders come from using a legacy sales approach. While this approach may have worked 30-50 years ago, it doesn’t help sales professionals in the current environment. To improve your sales results, you have to know where you may be going off course. We share Iannarino’s thoughts on some of the most frequent sales mistakes in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Prioritizing a personal connection. Many sales professionals strive to build rapport. While this is important, Iannarino says it’s a mistake to make this the first thing you do. The more time you spend trying to make a connection, he says, the less time you have to create value. Plus, idle chit chat can position you as someone who wastes time.

Giving a history on your company. Prospects have their own businesses to oversee and lives to lead — they’re not interested in hearing all the facts about your organization. Remember that their time is valuable and use it wisely.

Name dropping your other clients. Iannarino recalls a time he showed a smaller client a logo slide with all the big-name companies his business had worked with. The contact felt intimidated and unsure that Iannarino would even want to work with someone so small. Early in the conversation, prospects don’t need to see proof. At this stage, they are simply trying to understand why they’re not getting the results they want and what they need to do, he says.

Getting overly promotional. No one likes to be sold to, so don’t begin your conversations pitching your products and services. Iannarino says the salesperson who can go without ever mentioning their solution in the first conversation is better positioned to win the client's business. Because they have conversations their clients value, they differentiate themselves. They also create a preference to buy from them.

Not creating value. To close a deal, you need to be able to prove your value. Yet many sales professionals think they are being evaluated based on their likability, other clients or products. This is a deal-killing mistake, Iannarino says. Remember that your goal with every sales meeting is show how you can bring value to the relationship.

Not differentiating. Your products and services can help your prospects — but so can your competitor’s offerings. Meaningful differentiation is found by helping clients understand how different companies deliver value, Iannarino says.

Failing to navigate well. The path to a sale is rarely linear. Make sure you lead the prospect’s journey and remember that they don’t know what they don’t know.

Now that you know some of the most prevalent sales mistakes, you can take steps to correct them. Closing can be challenging, so do everything you can to start from a solid foundation.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Anthony Iannarino is an international speaker, bestselling author, entrepreneur and sales leader. He’s also the founder and CEO of B2B Sales Coach & Consultancy, a boutique sales coaching and consulting firm.