That’s what makes being a sales professional so exciting. The danger associated with losing can be significant, but it can also be a motivator to try harder. As long as you’re trying correctly, you will eventually achieve success. That’s why it’s important never to give up and use the right approach and process to help you close sales better. Remember that winning could be just around the bend for you.

I have found the following to be the 10 most significant issues ailing salespeople, and if you fix these, there is no stopping your success.

1. Prospect Quality: To start, define the right buyer personas and identify qualified prospects accurately. The solution is to recognize your happiest, most contented customers’ traits and use this as a filter when forming your target buyer/prospect list.

2. Managing Pipeline: Spend enough time prospecting and keep adding fresh quality opportunities to the pipeline. Always watch and manage the pipe so you can intelligently predict where the future business is going to develop. Use your CRM to your benefit and rank every prospect’s quality and potential in your pipeline.

3. Follow-through on sales leads: Follow-through on the leads and prospects promptly. Do not let them linger for too long and realize the opportunity train has left the station! Ideally, you would want to schedule follow-up actions in the CRM directly after each client interaction. Keep your contacts active and make sure that you are continually nurturing that pipeline!

4. Sales Messaging is also an oft-ignored area. We get too comfortable with what we want to utilize to discuss our unique benefits. Try letting your client/prospect guide you to refine your sales pitch. Get that feedback and, you will get clues to what is important to them then. Try to use those ideas to refine your pitch consistently and see the difference. As always, keep track of the changes you keep making!

5. Outreach via calling, email, social media: With the reduction in cold calling industry-wide and the use of AI and CRM tools, it is a myth that you burn through fewer leads nowadays. Non-effective use of touchpoints through your sales funnel (calling or otherwise) will burn your sales leads – no matter how good they are. Your winning chances would be way lower through inept and inadequate quality calling, emailing, or any other touchpoints. Be respectful of your prospects and customers, and be gentle and humble in your approach rather than one thoughtless outreach.

6. Closing The Sale: Ask for the order! I always find it fascinating just how many don’t! Handling questions is great, but you must complete that deal! Always ask for the business once you have dealt with the problems and objections, if any. Incredible how many opportunities you could win because of this simple fix. There is no precise recipe here, as this will always be unique. Read the situation but ask for that business! There are so many ways to ask that question but, even the simplest ones are powerful – 

• Can we proceed?
• Is there anything that limits us from progressing?
• Should I schedule a time to kick this off?
• When should we get started on implementation?
• What would you like your delivery date to be?
• Ready to partner with us on this?

7. Customer Retention Rates: Servicing your existing portfolio of accounts is crucial. Referrals are a fabulous way to drive home the advantage. Landing clients is challenging enough, so do not lose those customers with shoddy follow-ups or service. Follow the solution delivery or the physical order or whatever you have sold through your internal delivery processes. Ensure issues do not happen, and if they do, fix them as quickly as possible. Also, schedule follow-ups with your client regularly and keep the relationship strong & healthy. How are your relationships with the delivery team and other teams within the organization? Treat delivery and other groups within your organization as your partner and prospects and build a healthy relationship. Remember again – getting business is hard enough, so do not lose those customers with bad service. And it is not just about losing the customer, but also about referral business, and we all know how important that can be!

8. Manage Customer Attrition: Be in regular contact with all your customers. Use the CRM and other tools available to automate and schedule regular calls. On average, most organizations lose about 17% of their customers, and the largest number is through sheer negligence. Again, landing clients is challenging enough, so do not lose those customers through neglectfulness.

9. Grow your book of business by not thinking small: Find those larger customers! The key is to recognize and prioritize your largest current clients and cultivate a strategy to get more familiar and get more interested and engaged in their businesses and industry. Mine these customers and target new and other prospects that can significantly impact your quota.

10. Seek out training: Selling is complex and is always a fast and evolving skillset. One of the most significant ‘errors’ I have seen is a failure to understand the need for training, no matter if you are an A player. Market dynamics are such that you will miss the boat if you tend to think you know it all. Invest in training for yourself – there are tons of coaching programs and live on-the-field training pieces available. No matter which way you look at it, we all learn from each other, and you would be missing a fabulous opportunity to up your earnings by brushing aside training.

So, where do you grow from here? I would encourage you to evaluate these ten areas of focus. Choose one and commit to it for at least four weeks. Keep yourself accountable – either by finding a colleague or friend who can keep you on track or get professional help.

I have seen salespeople commit to this change and walk away with greater satisfaction in both work and life. I trust that directing your focus on these specific areas will help you grow your book of business in the future.

If you want to talk, my first 15 minutes are always complimentary. Reach me here.