7 Red Flags You Didn't Get The Sale

7 Red Flags You Didn’t Get The Sale

Recently, I was reading a post on LinkedIn titled “7 Signs You Didn’t Get The Job” and I couldn’t help myself but to think about the similarities that exist between interviewing and selling.  At the end of the day, isn’t that what an interview is - selling yourself as the best fit for the job?  So what’s the difference between selling yourself for a new position versus selling yourself and your company as being the best vendor for the job?  My answer is there isn’t a difference!

As a sales manager and having been in sales a long time, I’ve noticed some bad habits amongst the ranks of sales professionals.  The most common issues I’ve seen are poor prospecting activity, a lack of fundamental execution in sales conversations, little to no conversational command at the prospect’s office, and not teaching prospects how you are different and why that’s better for them.  It is common to find sales people reviewing brochures, leaning on fancy sales literature as crutches and not establishing substantive business conversations which benefit the buyer.   When was the last time you had a great interview when the interviewer had their head down in your resume and cover letter?  Most likely, you haven’t.  Much like solid interviews are based on an engaging business conversation about what you bring to the table, a sales conversation is no different.

So why not embrace all sales conversations as interviews as they should be?  Why not adhere to the golden rule of interviewing that is to interview the interviewer, or in this case, interview the prospect?  Ask the prospect the right questions, tailor your message to fit your company’s unique "differentiators" and demonstrate a partnership they cannot get with anyone else!

Unfortunately, not all sales people appreciate or adhere to this line of thinking and too often they find themselves in the hoping and waiting stage of prospect decision making.  If you are in sales and are experiencing more than a couple of the following 7 Red Flags, you might want to consider pushing for a NO from the prospect and investing your time elsewhere:

1.  You met with fewer people.

You were supposed to meet with three different decision makers after your first meeting, but when you came in for meeting number two, those people we’re suddenly unavailable.

2.  Your meeting is cut short or the prospect is constantly interrupted by their phone or email.

Your meeting was supposed to go for an hour, but the prospect wrapped things up in thirty minutes.  Or your prospect is loosely engaged in what you are pouring your energy into.  Make sure you always have a reciprocal level of commitment from the prospect.

3.  The prospect is asking the wrong questions or focusing on things you don’t do well.

If the prospect is emphasizing the importance of a skill set your company doesn’t have, then it’s a strong indication they are looking for a different kind of vendor.

4.  The prospect asks you for references or terms and conditions.

Unless you have a verbal commitment from the prospect to do business, an ill-timed request like this is generally indicative of an avoidance tactic from the prospect.

5.  You didn’t teach the prospect anything about their business.

Much like interviewers want you to teach them how your unique combination of experience and acumen is exactly what they are looking for, prospects want to learn something about their business that they didn’t already know based on your unique perspective and experience.

6.  You didn’t clearly define What Happens Next nor did you get commitment from the prospect on those steps.

Ever had a prospect "go dark" on you?  Chances are, you didn't leave the sales call with the prospect committing to another meeting or a contract.  If you aren't demanding prospect commitment at every stage in the sale, then what are you doing?   Gaining commitment and defining how easy life is going to be for the prospect is paramount to helping them do business with you and your company.

7.  You didn’t let the prospect tell you No.

Not all relationships are meant to be.  Not all business partnerships can be forged. It is important to establish a level of professional candor – at the beginning – of every sales call which will allow the prospect to be comfortable telling you this isn’t a good fit, or vice versa.

When talking with prospects, the bottom line is to interview them, teach them, gain commitment from them and make it easy for them to do business with you and your company.

Garrett McGinnis is the Regional VP of Sales for mindSHIFT Technologies.  Want to work with Garrett and mindSHIFT?  Email:  [email protected]