It drives me insane when I listen to business owners complaining how sales are down and how the bad economy makes it impossible to stay profitable. Yet I continue to witness cringingly how tens of thousands of dollars in revenue potential are passed by due to pure negligence, lack of training and/ or urgency by the sales force!
I want to share with you three real life examples of ‘The Sudden Business Death Syndrome’ that I have experienced only in the last two weeks. Bad salesmanship, no follow up, terrible listening skills and massive waste of company marketing dollars have been the cause for major loss of business opportunities.
Example 1.)
Lack of Motivation
A customer visited a new Toyota showroom in town to purchase a $25,000 truck. With an immediate need to purchase a vehicle, he met the sales person who referred him to their website instead. The sales person did not take any details from the customer or spend adequate time to understand the exact needs, budget and timeframe the customer was looking for.
Well guess what? The customer went to Ford the following weekend and purchased a $30,000 truck because there the sales guy was helpful, considered and found what the customer needed. Toyota’s loss of an easy $30,000 revenue!
Example 2.)
Bad Training
At a trade show, a customer visits a potential supplier booth to explore the possible expansion of their services. The sales person at the booth launches into a fully fledged 20 minute spiel on products and company overview without once asking the visitor what her business is, what she is looking for or see how their portfolio would match to suit.
Again the sales person did not take down details or make arrangements to meet again. Instead he alienated the customer, wasted her time and lost massive revenue potential for a possible new sales channel. Order value approx. $15,000 per month!
Example 3.)
No Follow-up
A company looking to find the perfect promotional item, finally sees exactly what they have been searching for. Handmade ware from Italy that could be personalized with the company logo and details.
The shop assistant takes the business card and does a great job selling the concept and design to the customer. Two weeks after the meeting, the customer still has not been contacted to finalize their order and have now found an alternative due to the lack of follow up by the shop assistant. Initial order value approximately $5000!
It is not bad economic times that are causing businesses to hurt financially but the inability and complacency to close each sales opportunity as it presents itself. Therefore read & learn and get a tight handle on your sales process, regardless if you are a big company or a sole proprietor. With the right attitude there is tons of money to be made.
Happy Businessing!
Conny
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