Sales Myths

Sales Myths


Competition and focus to sales in IT sector caused an increased necessity to more experienced, pragmatic and proactive sales specialists. Focusing to sales requires more scores inspite of low margins, but frequent crisis environments and saving procurement programmes of companies decrease those scores.

Lack of good sales people and lack of time of people who will take this locomotive role for sales, caused unsuccessfull results in the evaluation periods. In every company, there are many myths where managers and salesmen always mention in their strategy or sales meetings. These myths implement without evaluating, but final results never change.

We can list the main ones and required actions in the following;

Myth 1: The customers who are capable to buy a product or service, are the potential customers. Reality : Only some of the customers buy. Either some of them have no budget or they can not use your products.
Myth 2: Never get a “No” answer from your customer. Reality : If your prospect customer is getting harder and if you did everything correct, you should better to go to another prospect customer. If you add value and if they do not buy, then this is their loss, not yours.
Myth 3: Insistence brings win. Reality: Continuous insistence on the customer who does not want and who is doubtful, will cause the loss of high value resources. Howsoever you spent too much time and effort, you should trust to your customer’s decisions.
Myth 4: A good salesman sells anything to anyone. Reality: Good salesmen discovery the real customer potentials and they focus on the real high probable sales opportunities.
Myth 5: Customers, do know what they need exactly. Reality: Customers may be inconsistent, even they may be wrong on their needs. It is the duty of the salesman to define the correct need and to route the customer.
Myth 6: Don’t leave the meeting without getting all the money on the table. Reality: If you are selling unneeded things to your customers and if you are trying to increase your orders and your score, you are just carving up. You are not acting like a professional salesman.
Myth 7: Try again and again, if you couldn’t succeded on the first time. Reality: If you couldn’t help one of your customers, then try again; but this time on another customer. Trying on the previous one will not bring a benefit.

The above myths, are the common situations for the locomotive people in the sales focus companies. I advise sales professionals to read the above theories who can not evaluate themselves, and try whenever they find a time. I hope I can contribute to some of your sales.

Mehmet Bilginsoy – December 2008