Here are 23 habits that can hold you back from success in sales:
1. Watching the news or negative programming can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, it can negatively impact your mindset and overall outlook, which can affect your interactions with prospects. If you’re feeling down or negative, it can be more difficult to be enthusiastic and motivated when speaking to prospects. Additionally, if you’re watching the news, you may get caught up in current events and distractions, which can take your focus away from your sales efforts. It’s important to keep your mind focused on your work and maintain a positive attitude, especially during your sales day.
2. Aimlessly scrolling on social media can be a major time waster, especially if you’re doing it before your sales day begins. It can be easy to get caught up in social media and lose track of time, which can take away from your preparation for your sales day. Additionally, if you’re scrolling through negative or irrelevant content, it can negatively impact your mindset and overall outlook, which can affect your interactions with prospects. It’s important to be mindful of your social media usage and make sure it’s not detracting from your sales efforts.
3. Talking to negative people before your sales day begins can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, negative people can bring you down and impact your mindset, which can affect your interactions with prospects. It’s important to maintain a positive attitude and outlook when speaking to prospects, so negative people can be a hindrance in this regard. Additionally, if you’re spending time talking to negative people, you may not have enough time to properly prepare for your sales day. It’s important to surround yourself with positive and supportive people who will lift you up and help you succeed in your sales efforts.
4. Avoiding hard conversations can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, by avoiding hard conversations, you may not be addressing important issues that are impacting your sales efforts. These could include objections or concerns from prospects, challenges with your product or service, or problems within your sales team. By avoiding these conversations, you may not be able to find solutions or resolve issues that are hindering your success. Additionally, by avoiding hard conversations, you may come across as indecisive or lacking in leadership, which can affect your credibility and trust with prospects. It’s important to be willing to have difficult conversations and address problems head on to succeed in sales.
5. Building rapport is an important part of the sales process, and not doing so can negatively impact your performance. Building rapport helps you establish a connection with your prospect and create a sense of trust and mutual understanding. Without rapport, it can be more difficult to persuade and influence your prospect, as they may not feel comfortable or connected to you. Additionally, building rapport allows you to better understand your prospect’s needs and concerns, which can help you tailor your sales pitch and better address their objections. It’s important to take the time to build rapport with your prospects to increase your chances of success.
6. Eating food that doesn’t provide you with good energy can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, if you’re not eating nutritious, energizing food, you may feel sluggish or low on energy. This can affect your focus and motivation, which can make it more difficult to perform well in sales. Additionally, if you’re not taking care of your overall health and well-being, it can show in your appearance and demeanor, which can impact how prospects perceive you. It’s important to make sure you’re fueling your body with healthy, energizing food to perform your best in sales.
7. Drinking too much the night before can negatively impact your sales performance for a few reasons. First, if you’re not well-rested, you may not be at your best and may struggle with focus and motivation. This can make it more difficult to perform well in sales. Additionally, if you’re still feeling the effects of alcohol the next day, it can affect your appearance and demeanor, which can impact how prospects perceive you. It’s important to take care of your overall health and well-being to perform your best in sales, and this includes being mindful of your alcohol consumption.
8. Making promises you can’t deliver on can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, if you make a promise to a prospect and are unable to deliver, it can damage your credibility and trust with them. It’s important to be honest and upfront about what you can and can’t do, and to only make promises that you know you can keep. Additionally, if you make a promise that you can’t deliver on, it can lead to disappointment and frustration for your prospect, which can harm your relationship with them and make it more difficult to close the sale. It’s important to be realistic and realistic in your promises to build trust and credibility with your prospects.
9. Making excuses for not doing the work can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, it can make you appear unreliable or untrustworthy to your prospects, which can damage your credibility and make it more difficult to close the sale. Additionally, making excuses can indicate a lack of responsibility or accountability, which can be a turn-off to prospects. It’s important to take ownership of your actions and be responsible for your work to succeed in sales. Instead of making excuses, it’s better to admit when you make a mistake and take steps to correct it. This will show your prospects that you are reliable and trustworthy.
10. Blaming others for your failures can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, it can make you appear unprofessional and lacking in personal responsibility. It’s important to take ownership of your actions and be accountable for your own successes and failures. By blaming others, you may come across as unreliable or untrustworthy to your prospects, which can damage your credibility and make it more difficult to close the sale. Additionally, blaming others can damage your relationships with your colleagues and team members, which can impact your overall performance. It’s important to take responsibility for your actions and work towards achieving your goals rather than blaming others for your failures.
11. Not making a goal can be detrimental to your sales performance because it’s important to have a clear target to aim for. Having a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goal (also known as a SMART goal) can help you stay focused and motivated and give you a sense of direction and purpose. Without a goal, it can be difficult to determine what you’re working towards and what success looks like. It’s important to set clear, achievable goals for yourself to stay motivated and focused, and to have something to strive for in your sales efforts.
12. Talking more than listening can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, it can make you appear disinterested or disrespectful to your prospects. It’s important to show your prospects that you value their input and concerns, and that you’re interested in what they have to say. By talking more than listening, you may come across as arrogant or self-centered, which can be a turn-off to prospects. Additionally, by talking more than listening, you may miss out on important information or objections that your prospect is trying to convey. It’s important to be an active listener and show your prospects that you’re engaged and interested in what they have to say to build trust and credibility with them.
13. Wearing the wrong clothes can negatively impact your sales performance for a few reasons. First, if you’re not dressed appropriately for the situation, you may come across as unprofessional or unprepared, which can affect how prospects perceive you. It’s important to dress in a way that is appropriate for your industry and the situation you’re in, as it can help you establish credibility and build trust with your prospects. Additionally, if you’re not comfortable in your clothes, it can affect your overall demeanor and confidence, which can impact your sales performance. It’s important to be comfortable and confident in what you’re wearing to perform your best in sales.
14. Not sending calendar invites or reminders of meetings can negatively impact your sales performance for a few reasons. First, if you don’t send calendar invites or reminders, you may end up missing important meetings or appointments, which can affect your overall productivity and efficiency. By sending calendar invites and reminders, you can ensure that you and your prospects are prepared and on track for your meetings. Additionally, if you’re not sending calendar invites or reminders, it can show a lack of organization and attention to detail, which can affect how prospects perceive you. It’s important to be organized and attentive to details to build trust and credibility with your prospects.
15. Not following up with leads quickly and often can negatively impact your sales performance for a few reasons. First, if you don’t follow up with leads in a timely manner, you may lose their interest, or they may pursue other options. It’s important to follow up with leads as soon as possible to keep them engaged and interested in what you have to offer. Additionally, if you don’t follow up with leads often enough, you may not stay top of mind for them, which can make it more difficult to close the sale. It’s important to be proactive and follow up with leads regularly to increase your chances of success.
16. Not using names in conversations can negatively impact your sales performance for a few reasons. First, using someone’s name in conversation helps to establish a personal connection and show that you’re engaged and interested in what they have to say. By not using names, you may come across as disinterested or disrespectful, which can harm your relationship with the prospect. Additionally, not using names can indicate a lack of attention to detail, which can affect your credibility and trust with the prospect. It’s important to use names in conversation to build rapport and establish a personal connection with your prospects.
17. Not getting regular exercise can negatively impact your sales performance for a few reasons. First, exercise can help improve your overall physical and mental well-being, which can make you feel more energized and focused. By not getting regular exercise, you may feel sluggish or low on energy, which can affect your performance in sales. Additionally, exercise can help improve your overall appearance and demeanor, which can impact how prospects perceive you. It’s important to take care of your overall health and well-being to perform your best in sales, and this includes getting regular exercise.
18. Not respecting the gatekeeper can negatively impact your sales performance for a few reasons. First, the gatekeeper (e.g., receptionist, assistant) is often the first point of contact for your prospect and can play a role in whether you are able to speak with them. By not respecting the gatekeeper, you may come across as rude or disrespectful, which can affect how the gatekeeper perceives you and how they handle your request to speak with the prospect. Additionally, if you’re not respectful towards the gatekeeper, they may be less likely to help you or give you access to the prospect, which can hinder your sales efforts. It’s important to show respect and professionalism towards the gatekeeper to increase your chances of success.
19. Assuming the pain of the customer can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, it’s important to listen to your prospects and understand their specific needs and concerns. By assuming their pain points, you may not be accurately addressing their needs and may come across as insincere or lacking in empathy. Additionally, by assuming their pain points, you may not fully understand the customer’s situation and may not be able to offer a solution that effectively addresses their needs. It’s important to listen to your prospects and understand their specific pain points to offer a solution that effectively addresses their needs.
20. Not role-playing handling objections can negatively impact your sales performance because it’s important to be prepared for objections that may come up during the sales process. By role-playing handling objections, you can practice responding to common objections and become more confident and proficient in handling them. This can help you feel more prepared and confident when dealing with objections in real sales situations. Additionally, by role-playing handling objections, you can get feedback and improve your approach, which can increase your chances of success. It’s important to be prepared and practiced in handling objections to effectively address your prospect’s concerns and close the sale.
21. Selling out of your own pockets can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, it can be unethical and potentially illegal, depending on the company you work for and the products or services you’re selling. It’s important to follow the rules and regulations of your company and industry to maintain credibility and trust with your prospects. Additionally, selling out of your own pockets may not be in the best interest of your prospects, as you may not have the same resources or support as your company. This can lead to a lack of trust and credibility with your prospects, which can hinder your sales efforts. It’s important to follow the guidelines and protocols of your company to protect your credibility and build trust with your prospects.
22. Giving too many options can be detrimental to your sales performance for a few reasons. First, it can be overwhelming for your prospects and make it more difficult for them to decide. It’s important to offer a limited number of options that are tailored to your prospect’s needs and budget. By giving too many options, you may end up confusing or overwhelming your prospect, which can make it more difficult to close the sale. Additionally, by giving too many options, you may not be able to effectively differentiate your offerings and may not be able to clearly communicate the value of each option to your prospect. It’s important to offer a limited number of options that are tailored to your prospect’s needs to increase your chances of success.
23. Not following up with a prospect’s pain point can be detrimental to your sales performance because it’s important to address your prospect’s specific needs and concerns to close the sale. If you don’t follow up on a pain point, you may not be offering a solution that effectively addresses the prospect’s needs, which can hinder your sales efforts. Additionally, by not following up on a pain point, you may come across as disinterested or lacking in empathy, which can harm your relationship with the prospect and make it more difficult to close the sale. It’s important to follow up on your prospect’s pain points and offer solutions that effectively address their needs to increase your chances of success.
