Most people working in sales today received their training from a generation of traditional salesmen who followed the traditional sales model. This model says to jump on new leads as soon as possible and sell hard and fast until the deal is closed.
The thing that most salespeople today forget is that the traditional sales model was a product of its environment and today, that environment looks radically different.
In past decades, consumers had limited options for getting information on the products and services available to them and were therefore essentially forced into listening to high-pressured sales pitches. Today, consumers have the internet, smart phones and other digital technologies to help them learn about their buying options and make informed purchase decisions. What’s more, they have technologies like caller ID, spam filters and DVRs aimed at blocking out high-pressured sales pitches.
In this new type of sales environment, the number one mistake a salesman can make is selling too hard too fast.
If you try to sell too hard too soon, from the prospects’ perspective, you have become equivalent to that annoying TV commercial they fast forward through. They may have a need for your product/service one day, but because you were pushy and annoyed them instead of offering authentic information and guidance, they are going to go to your competitor.
In order to not make this mistake, you need to understand where your prospect is in their buying cycle to decide when and how to sell to them.
