These 5 habits make sales reps look desperate

No one likes desperation. We instinctively react to needy people by shaking off their grip and running.

So why do sales reps fall victim to desperate habits?

There’s a lot of pressure to reaching that sales quota. And when a sale is on the line, sometimes distress takes over what once was a good conversation.

While eagerness is healthy, desperation is not. Here’s how these five bad habits repel instead of sell to your potential customers.

Begging for a Meeting

Pushing a prospect to meet is rather pushy, especially after expressing no interest in the sale.

Instead of begging for another shot, ask them a genuine question: “Do you not see enough value in (product/service) for you to schedule another call with me?”

This gets to the real root of their situation faster. If the potential customer says that they’re swamped at work, then you have established that they are just not ready to buy now.

But if they answer yes, then they don’t see how they can benefit from what you sell. That means one more meeting or call probably won’t change their minds.

Don’t say, “I really think you could be a great fit” or “all your competitors are doing it.” Don’t call. Don’t schedule a meeting.

Thank them for their time politely and move forward with another promising opportunity.

Pushing the Solution Too Quickly

It’s part of the sales process to ask questions. Learning the potential customer’s pain points lets you understand how your product or service can solve their issue.

And it’s exciting when there’s a match between their problem and your solution. But being too aggressive to find that connection comes off as desperate.

In an ideal sales process, the potential buyer discovers how your product or service is the best solution. To get to this conclusion, you have to resist the urge to blurt, “we can solve that for you!”

It’s more valuable to show, not tell. Explain how other customers like them have solved similar problems. That way, the potential customer can see themselves solving their own situation with your solution.