The 25 Most Common Sales Mistakes and How to Avoid Them: . . . And How to Avoid Them

by Stephan Schiffman

Overview

"25 Sales Mistakes is essential for any professional or organization committed to sales excellence."
--Michael A. Berman, Chief Operating Officer, Outside Ventures

In the newest edition of this valuable manual, Stephan Schiffman offers updated advice to salespeople about getting prospects and making the sale. It's not just what you do--it's what you don't do:

• Don't sell against a competitor
• Don't be satisfied
• Don't stop getting ideas
• Don't use boilerplate proposals
• Don't overuse e-mail

The book also includes a new introduction and updated text. Schiffman offers salespeople the kind of advice--from listening to the client to following up on the sale--that has made him the best corporate sales trainer today. With Schiffman's book in their pocket, salepeople can avoid common blunders and make the sale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440513893
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	07/18/2009
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	657 KB

About the Author

Stephan Schiffman (New York, NY) has trained more than 500,000 salespeople at firms such as AT&T Information Systems, Chemical Bank, Manufacturer’s Hanover Trust, Motorola, and U.S. Health Care. Schiffman is the president of DEI Management Group. He is the author of such bestselling books as Cold Calling Techniques and The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Third Edition vii

Introduction xi

Mistake #1 Not Being Obsessed 1

Mistake #2 Not Listening to the Prospect 5

Mistake #3 Not Empathizing with the Prospect 9

Mistake #4 Seeing the Prospect as an Adversary 13

Mistake #5 Getting Distracted 19

Mistake #6 Not Taking Notes 23

Mistake #7 Failing to Follow Up 27

Mistake #8 Not Keeping in Contact with Past Clients 31

Mistake #9 Not Planning the Day Efficiently 33

Mistake #10 Not Looking Your Best 37

Mistake #11 Not Keeping Sales Tools Organized 39

Mistake #12 Not Taking the Prospect's Point of View 41

Mistake #13 Not Taking Pride in Your Work 45

Mistake #14 Trying to Convince, Rather Than Convey 49

Mistake #15 Underestimating the Prospect's Intelligence 51

Mistake #16 Not Keeping Up to Date 53

Mistake #17 Rushing the Sale 57

Mistake #18 Not Using People Proof 61

Mistake #19 Humbling Yourself 63

Mistake #20 Being Fooled by "Sure Things" 67

Mistake #21 Taking Rejection Personally 71

Mistake #22 Not Assuming Responsibility 75

Mistake #23 Underestimating the Importance of Prospecting 79

Mistake #24 Focusing on Negatives 83

Mistake #25 Not Showing Competitive Spirit 85

Bonus Mistakes

New Mistake #26 Not Having a Fallback Position 89

New Mistake #27 Not Asking for the Sale 93

New Mistake #28 Not Getting Enough Information 97

New Mistake #29 Not Knowing When to Stop Talking 101

New Mistake #30 Taking a Leisurely Sales Approach 105

Quick Reference Summary 109