Sales people usually have the gift of being able to talk in any situation and can put a positive spin on most things. In other words, they usually have an excuse ready when you feel the need to criticise their behaviour at work. This does not alter the fact that sales people sometimes get into bad habits. There are certain issues which arise again and again and when these are noticed you need to take immediate action to remedy them. Often, the shortcomings demonstrate a lack of sales training and can be remedied by arranging that training. Sometimes, closer supervision or mentoring is more appropriate.

Here are some of those common symptoms to keep an eye out for.

The first one is timekeeping. This actually applies to all staff in any business situation but can be really damaging to a company’s bottom line when it involves sales people being late for appointments with customers. There is no worse first impression than turning up for a meeting late. Similarly presentations should always be of the highest quality.

Sales people often get into a habit of thinking they know what a customer really wants or values. They should never stop listening to the client and ensure that they fully understand what the customer wants.

Exhibitions can often seem like a very expensive outlay with no real return. Sometimes, the attitude of a company seems to be that they need to have a presence but don’t really expect to generate any new business. It’s seen as a way of meeting a number of existing clients under the same roof and an excuse to run up the expense account.

However, this does not make sense. Firstly, financially it can be a waste of money, particularly if it involves paying travel and subsistence to staff staying away from home. Secondly, it is a lost opportunity. Most visitors go to exhibitions because they are considering spending money. Why shouldn’t that money go in your company’s coffers?

Every time someone approaches your stand they should be spoken to. The aim should be to initiate a conversation which will allow a sales pitch to be made without it being obvious that that is what is being done. You can begin by mentioning a unique selling point which will hopefully lead to the visitor asking a question and thus initiating the pitch. Better still; an open ended question can quickly establish whether the person concerned has a genuine interest in your products.

Sales training should be given to all staff attending conferences.

The whole point of a salesman is to sell. Now that might seem to be a contender for most obvious statement ever, but you sometimes wonder whether this point was somehow missed in sales training. Often, sales technique including communication skills can be excellent and yet there is a distinct lack of sales. This is because many sales people forget to close.

There are a couple of very basic points which should always be borne in mind.

First of all, you need to close at the right time. That is, when the customer is ready to buy. This is most frequently at the end of the discussion, but not always. Listen and read the situation.

Secondly, don’t forget to ask for the order. If the customer does not receive the question, he is far less likely to buy. Similarly, just because the customer has said ‘no’ is not a reason not to ask them again. Part of your job is to persuade them. Whilst you do not want to irritate or annoy the customer, the simple fact is that the more often you ask for the sale, the more likely you are to get it.
To finish, as we began, with a useful cliché, always be closing.