Where Happiness Lies...

Reading is fundamental…reading is FunToMental. If you take this saying too seriously then you will be lucky to land upon some interesting reads as I did this month which I will share with you. “Acres of Diamonds” by Russell H. Conwell published in 1913…

Once upon a time (as in really it happened), there was a man by the name of Ali Hafed who lived not far from River Indus. He owned a very large farm that had orchards, grain-field, gardens and was a wealthy and contended man.

One day a wise Buddhist priest visited him and told him, “A diamond is a congealed drop of sunlight. If you had one diamond the size of your thumb you could purchase the county... 

...and if you had a mine of diamonds you could place your children upon thrones through the influence of great wealth.” Ali Hafed went to his bed that night discontented because he feared he was poor. He said, “I want a mine of diamonds!”

Early in the morning he asked the priest. “Will you tell me where I can find diamonds?”

“Diamonds! What do you want with diamonds?” “Why, I wish to be immensely rich.” “Well, then, go along and find them. That is all you have to do;go find them and then you have them”. “But I don’t know where to go”. “Well, if you will find a river that runs through white sands, between high mountains, in those white sands you will always find diamonds.” Ali sold his farm, left his family in charge of a neighbor, and went in search of the diamonds.

From Palestine into Europe till at last when his money was all spent and he was in rags, wretchedness and poverty...

He stood on the shore of the bay at Barcelona in Spain and cast himself into the incoming tide never to rise in this life again.

The man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm one day noticed a curious flash of light from a pebble in the white sands of the stream. He took the pebble into the house, put it on the mantel and forgot all about it. A few days later the old priest came to visit and the moment he saw it he shouted, “Here is a diamond! Has Ali Hafed returned?” “Oh no, he hasn’t and that is not a diamond. That is nothing but a stone we found right out here in our own garden.” “But I tell you I know a diamond when I see it.” They rushed into that old garden and stirred up the white sands with their fingers and lo! There came up other more beautiful and valuable gems than the first. Thus was discovered the diamond-mine of Golconda, the most magnificent in all the history of mankind, excelling the Kimberly itself. The Kohinoor (shown below) and the Orloff of the crown jewels of England and Russia, the largest on earth, came from that mine.

Now take this to today’s setting where everyone wants to have it all and will do everything they can to get it! We have people migrating from job to job, city to city, country to country, continent to continent all in the name of looking for greener pastures though most of the time it all boils down to happiness, peace, being content. Only few people funny enough have gained this wealth of contentment and if you observe them closer, you’ll see the details is right there, they are comfortable with what they have.

Today there are many tips that have been passed on from generation to generation on how to be happy all i can say there are just two tips and will illustrate below....

"Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

Og Mandino(1923 - 1996)

 FEEL INSPIRED :)

The Huge Mess Of Mediocre Mediocrity In Your Sales Promotions: Rectify It!

Ever wondered why your sales promotion or brand activation strategies have never yield any returns. The marketing manager argues out for its urgency, finance support them with proposed sky high sales forecasted. In a span of a meeting you are given the go ahead, your budget and target are clearly defined. You are excited! As a manger you even go ahead and challenge yourself, as part of your brand management that you will pull off ensuring mass communication at a rather cost effective (read low price)! You know the right (read cheap) suppliers and since your job description entails increasing sales margin, you jump right into the task 100% sure to over-deliver your targets and expectations with the help of your street wisdom! In the end, you successfully increased your sales performance by a shocking 0.099% and de-valuing your brand by a staggering 100%! To make even matters worse, studies show that loyal consumers are not exactly fans of sales promotions because they feel they are being pushed and sold to.

WHY you ask? Glad you asked…Well you see there are 3 factors that determine the failure of a brand activation or sales promotion:-

1. WHAT? Cheap implementation! According to the thesaurus synonyms for cheap is inexpensive, low-priced, easy on the pocket and waiiiiit for it….SHAMEFUL! Yes shameful is a synonym for the word cheap, and when I say cheap implementation, I’m actually referring to your embarrassingly low-cost budget! These budgets often lead to shaming a brand because it is the use of inefficient and ineffective mechanics. An example…you opt to use materials you have been using for the last 10 years which are the least presentable to your target market! Another example is by hiring cheap agencies that implement the same cheap concepts that were used during the launch of our national flag in 1963! That is considered shameful because audiences value, are attracted and appreciate creativity! Fresh scenario settings and ideas are not cheap, they come at a cost.

2. WHERE? Location! Location! Location! You are so engrossed in the implementation of the promotion that you do not take time to rethink on the appropriate area where it should be done! I’m talking about where the target market resides. Take this scenario, you are launching a kiddie’s treat and your target market is between 6-12 years of age. You decide to spread your wings, go all out and take advantage of every spot that generates high traffic i.e. public transport vehicles, bus-stops and every corner of the city as your preferred location. And why is this? Because you have a predisposition thinking that your target audience is the parents of the children because they are the people who pay for the goods. Well you have an idea but honestly you are like 180 degrees off you target course! Your target market is the people who have an urgency to experience what your product offers, does a father or mother aged 40 years of age have this urgency? How many children do you see walking around the streets during classroom hours?

3. WHO? Inappropriate sales team! Yes I Said It…INAPPROPRIATE! A sales team is a group of people who are willing and ready to present a company as brand ambassadors with strong belief in the product, value proposition and what you stand for in general. This however is not the case as most times these promotions are done under the impression that you are “working on a budget”. So as a company with a brand that stands for energetic, young and vibrant lifestyle you are quick to hire non-energetic, old and inverted individuals just because you are “on a budget”!

All these are the reasons why whenever your target market sees an activation going on they are quick to remove their cell phones pretend to be taking a call, quickly change their route so that they don’t have to encounter you or worse still blankly tell your sales representatives no without even blinking or even looking at their faces.

So HOW do you revert this ongoing cycle? It is simple:-

1.       Do Not Implement Promotions Desperately! Your customers can smell desperation and your thirst for their money from as far as their ATMs are! Take time to assess agencies and their ideas. Select that which will leave a tasteful memory to your target market. It might be costly in the short term but in the long term it will definitely pay off…you only gain when you learn to invest!

2.       Stop using conventional promotional methods! We have seen it all the only difference to your target market is that last time the area or sales representatives were wearing black and now they are wearing yellow…in other words they do not differentiate between brands! Think out of the box, it is about attracting ANY RIGHT people and not ANY NUMBER of people.

3.       Your sales teams are your brand ambassadors! They are the first contact of your target audience, why take a risk? You only have one chance to sell, convince purchase and loyalty, you simply have NO room for risk!

DO NOT UNDERVALUE YOUR BRAND ; GIVE IT THE CREDIT THAT IT IS WORTH TO THE PUBLIC!

Low Sales Again??? I wonder why??

I was having a conversation with one of my friends last night and she was telling me that her sales are so low.  As she continued to explain her predicament to me I began to slowly and unnoticeably (I hope) wander off into the mind of a sales person when they wake in the morning. Are they scared that they are waking up to the same funnel they had last week, are they worried that they are the last on their team performance wise or are they more scared at the amount of tongue lashing they will get from their direct line manager.

What was then apparent to me was that they must be scared shitless, constantly. As in totally living in fear that either they won’t make their quota, hit their targets, please their boss, and rank higher that another sales executive, that they will lose business or even their jobs. Fear.

I think if you really want your sales team to perform, you have to really make them happy.

Comfortable. 

Fearless.

Fear can curb creativity, creativity that you probably need to get out of that sales rut you are in. Fear also makes you not sleep well at night, drink too much, easily irritable, blame others and ultimately not focus/concentrate effectively on the tasks at hand.

My advice for my friend mentioned in the first paragraph is...It’s not too late to come back strong. You just need to follow 5 simple steps. 

Relax. Identify. Plan. Act. Smile.

Relax- there is nothing to worry about. It’s just sales.

Identify-You cannot sell if you are distracted, when you are worried/stressed about something. All this is seen by your customers and prospects and they lose confidence in you or the product. Before you get rid of the worry you must identify what is making you worried, afraid or even stressed. Look at the other aspects of your life as see what else could be bothering you other than your lack of sales. Find the root and you will find a way out.

Plan- Once you identify the worry or causes of worry turn these into action plans for success. Try turning that situation around by attacking it head on. If you cannot change that situation then adopt a new or different way of looking at it.

Act- From the action plan you know what you need to do so START.

When I started to write this article I was writing it for the demoralized, de-motivated, down trodden sales guys but just now realized that these people had a lot of help getting there. So this question is for the guys who give them hell...so they bring in sales...what do u do??

It’s very easy to point at sales people and see fault because their deliverables are very obvious i.e. revenue but what are you doing to ensure that the same people keep doing the same every month or even raise the bar all together?

Managers need to be aware of certain things:

•        Adding negative motives will ruin the process.

Negative motives are things like quotas, minimum number of calls, fears, threats, etc.

•        Negative energy

If you can convert that negative energy into a positive motivator, you will create the internal atmosphere where success will thrive

• Use of threats

Some bosses try to use threats or impose minimum quotas to get sales numbers. Big mistake. Convert that negative energy to encouragement, training, education and supportive sales tools and you will win big.

•        Positive actions

To succeed, one positive action will not be enough. A repetitive culture needs to be established so that this behavior becomes a norm.

•       Taking it too seriously

Taking things too seriously can also be a demotivator because it causes stress and takes the fun out of selling.

•        Celebrate

Celebration of achievements even premature ones can be a good ego boost for sales people.

Speaking of motivating factors, I’d like to end this note by listing down some positive motivators that can help drive human beings in general. Maybe you can start to do some things a bit differently wherever you are.

· Money –– The greatest self motivating force in the world.

· Contest or Prize –– A chance to win, and be seen as "best."

· Desire to win –– The inbred instinct to finish first.

· Award –– A plaque that says "I’m great."

· Recognition –– Telling others "I’m great."

· Ego stroke –– Wanting to feel good inside, or be the center of attention.

· Helping others –– The need to be or feel needed.

· Opportunity – the dangling carrot to get more.

· Desire to succeed –– The inside fire that burns.

· Family –– The will to secure the people you love.

· Achievement –– The personal drive to accomplish.

· Advancement –– The desire to "get ahead" personally.

· Independence –– The want to "be my own boss."

· Challenge –– The desire to achieve a goal (or gold).

· Exercise –– Positive physical stimulation. (Buy everyone on your team a health club membership.)

· Fun and recreation –– The desire to have a beer at the beach. The desire to play golf.

· Someone inspirational –– Someone who by their words or action inspires you to "do it."

· New knowledge (learning a new or better way) –– Sales tapes, seminars and books provide some of the best sources of inspiration and motivation. The key is to take action after you learn. (Record your notes and action items on a cassette tape as soon as you learn them. Listen everyday.)

· Making a sale –– As soon as you make one, you want to make another (and the best part is that it’s the easiest time to do so. (You’re on a mental high and an emotional self–confident roll – go go.)

· The thrill of (repetitive) victory –– The desire to keep on (re)winning. Making a sale right after you just made one.

· Belief in product. –– The conviction that your product is the best gives motivation to self–confidence.

· Love of job –– The thrill of loving what you do creates a stronger belief in what you sell.

· Encouragement – "You can do it" goes a long way to achieve. Encouragement is the biggest (and least used) outside positive motivator.

VISION TOMORROW

A team as efficient and effective as Kenya’s Vision 2030 Contractors…I’m actually convinced they have the capability of building Rome Overnight! I mean, how many times have you passed your daily route in the morning only to find new developments on the road like a new fly over? You swear that you didn’t see it on your way home the previous day but today morning, barely 10hours later there it is in front of you… a whole new fly over with 6 lanes! How did they do that yet they are just above the number of a football team??? A few years back when they first laid out the plan to the public, one would think the government would have to employ a workforce at least the size of two counties. However that’s not the case because on the real they are actually at most, the maximum number of football players in the pitch during a match, that’s 22. How do they do that? They are so few yet they do so much?

Only one thing is clear, they are the epitome example of a human ant’s team work ethics. The ants’ work ethics is professional, it is an art. They have a clearly defined and funnily, an unwritten code of who plays which role and how each is supposed to carry out their duties with one clear goal, Survival and Longevity for their generation and generations to come. The same applies for the vision 2030 workforce. They work hard towards building infrastructure that will be of help today and also survive and last for generations to come. This will in turn benefit the country’s overall economic status in the long run by eradicating several limiting factors…though I won’t venture into that topic, it is too broad and I’m not out to creating a thesis. Anyway question is, if your company was to be contracted to build just one, either a roundabout or flyover, how efficient and effective do you think your team would be in delivering?

                                                                                                                         

Efficiency and effectiveness are directly related to productivity which forms the base for a performance appraisal to any job. In the dictionary productivity is defined as a measure of output from a production process, per unit of input; effectiveness refers to the adequacy to accomplish a purpose while efficiency refers to performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. In other words, “Being effective is about doing the right things, while being efficient is about doing the things in the right manner.” Therefore, to answer the question of whether your team can deliver one vision 2030 municipal flyover or roundabout, the efficiency and effectiveness of your team will be the determining factor on the overall productivity or success of the project.

Now whether or not you think your team can deliver, there are still a few tips you could deploy in making them master the art of organization in productivity, that is what team work is…

1. Go to the drawing board and map out goals and plans for each member and the team as a whole. You only know where you are going if you understand where you are from and where you are now.
2. Communicate. Do not encourage the culture of assumptions where you do not need to communicate some things as they are “obvious”. When you ASSUME you are only making an ASS out of U and Me.
3. Build relationships. Know each other so that you gain respect, support, cooperation and trust with each other
4. Be timely in resolving issues and making decisions. The sooner you get this done, the sooner you get the ball rolling, the more progressive you are as a team…its all about progression and the excuse department should remain closed!
5. Frequently facilitate productive meetings. What, Why and How should be the basis of any agenda of the meeting.
6. Give a purpose to the team members. Spell out their roles just like any other country’s constitution spells out its laws. This will answer the questions that each team member reflects on from time to time in regards to your organization, that is, ‘who am I?’, ‘why am I here?’ and ‘what should I do to get to where I am supposed to be going?’
7. Illuminate effective team leadership. Effective leadership does not entail solely taking pride in your title as the Head, Leader and Commander in Chief of a team! Rather it entails supporting your team members in a way that you can positively influence their actions towards any accomplishment, being the steeping stone for your team members so that they can all reach greater heights.

Remember numbers never lie, you are either working hard or hardly working. I hope these tips will help you as you roll out into the second quarter of the year. Vision tomorrow Team Work

TONGUE OF A GREAT SALESMAN

“It’s time!” You told yourself that morning when you were to buy your first car and the glee on your face couldn’t be wiped out even with bleach! “Today we become one!” you say to the portrait of your dream car that hangs on your bedroom wall. You have a look at the bucket list you’d hidden in your drawer…dream car…DONE!

You make your way to the showroom; your eyes see nothing but your dream car. You walk to the spot you had seen it parked a couple of months back. She’s new, shinny, she makes your heart race, you can swear by looking at her headlights she smiles at youJ You walk around her like a lioness would just before savoring on the fatty antelope she’d been eyeing for the last hour and now its on her plate!

The sales man then walks up to you. “Aaah…so you are back…” he says as he comes over to you. “Just give me a minute I finish up on this beauty I was testing on…”

“Sure”, you say as you watch him get into the driver seat of the car parked two rows behind yours. “WOW!”, is all you tell yourself as you have a look at the car he is getting into. You calmly ask, “Hey has this always been here?”

“No it is actually one of the newborns here two days old to be exact…Oh man what I would do to have her…I’d move out and live in it if I could just so that I could afford it”, he says.

“Oh yeah?” you ask affirmatively.

“In a heart beat! If I had her, I’d have no problem in the world! As in I’d donate my blood, sell my kidney and liver to have it! She is what road-trips and sunset drives were made for. The God’s must be smiling at the inventor of this for sure. I mean listen to her…” He turns on the vehicle. The roar of the engine just numbs your thoughts to nothing else but it sound. Its like heaven had opened its windows for a second for earthlings to hear what the angels sound like on a happy day singing.

“Oh my ghad!!!”, you whisper to yourself as you find your way to the co-driver seat. The scent of the new car from the inside, the feel of the interior leather, the dashboard, the navigators, the multi gear box, the inbuilt surround system….you are simply loosing your mind at this point!

“Lucky is the man who drives away with this car for his does happiness reside”, the salesman says sadly because he knows he doesn’t have a chance of walking away with it.

“Errrrrmmmm…could I have a test drive?” you ask trying to hid your anxiety.

“If you insist”, he tells you.

And with that curtains closes, he takes a bow, SALE CLOSED!

That day your dream car is not your dream car anymore. You drive home with a revised and probably improved dream car. Though it cost more, you are convinced it is for the better…I mean, happiness from this moment on resides with you right?

This is what many of us go through; we walk in knowing what we want but leave with what we are convinced we needed more. That is what I call the effect of the Tongue of a salesman.

Have you ever encountered a situation where the sales person who is pitching to you influences your buying decision so much that you actually buy what they are selling? I met a salesman who I believe if he told me buying a coffin for myself right now should be at the top of my priority list I would! I’d actually go to the extent of picking out the  colour and interior finishings J …the Tongue of a sales man.

Don’t you wish you could have such a tongue? Here are some lessons on how to be a great salespeople with the Tongue

Lesson 1: Build A Relationship

R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P. Small word yet it has such a deep meaning. A relationship is just not about knowing another person’s basic information like name, contacts etc and you proudly say that you know that person. To have a relationship of whichever kind both parties simply have to connect. The link that ties the two of you is what builds a relationship. However when selling, most people only have their sales targets in mind and not what level off connection they intend to have in order to win the prospective buyer over. Thus they tend to talk about my company, our product is this, its features are these…me me me ME! However if you took a connection perspective, sales people with the tongue try and find out who they are talking to, what problems they are facing, what their desires are and future plans…they simply engage in you you YOU conversation! By this, you are gaining an understanding of your customer and their way of thinking and this connection prepares you on what angle to engage from with your sales pitch…I mean not all size fits all right…

Lesson 2: Listen More, See More, Talk Less.

You only get to know what others need is you not only hear but listen to what they are saying. When you are hearing what your prospects are saying, you tend to generalize and make assumptions what they needs. On the contrary when you listen to them, you are paying attention to the details that are being conveyed to you. Thus by listening more and talking less you will get much further much faster when trying to persuade or influence your prospects.

Lesson 3: Be inquisitive

When great salespeople with the tongue want to find out their prospective’s or customer’s stand on their product or service offering, they make use of questions. And not just any questions. They ask only those that lead to them getting meaningful feedback. For instance, if you want to find out if a customer has ever tried your product, you don’t ask them, “Have you tried our new product?” This is because by asking them this they already jump into defense because it suggests that it’s a law they are breaking if they haven’t and it also leads to a closed ended answer such as a simple no or yes. However, if you instead ask them, “How did you find our new product when you tried it?”, you are already telling them that you hope and trust that they have tried it. Also their answer will be very open ended like, “In fact, I haven’t. Why is there something I am missing?” This will in turn lead into a dialogue in which you can also get to learn more about their needs, understand them better and build a relationship.

Lesson 4: Follow-up, Stand-out!

Being acquainted to a new prospect is not enough. This is because in the world of business, there are billions of salespeople selling trillions of products and services. Therefore in order to stand out from the crowd, you ought to continue what you have already begun. You have to follow up. Make the call, send the emails and schedule meetings, develop the relationship. It doesn’t necessarily have to be for business purposes, you can just call to find out how they are doing in their day to day lives, their interests…get to know them. By the time you do all this, you can bring up the proposal you had handed them or ask them how they find the product or service you sold to them. Eventually you can review together on what next step to take. Follow-up!

Lesson 5: See the future…Be Futuristic

Salesmen who are passionate about their career do not pitch for a one off sale so as to hit their day’s or month’s targets. Their end game is to pitch for future sales. Because realistically, not all prospects are today-and-now buyers, they always need time to think before buying and this is what is referred to as the buying behavior. So whoever they are trying to sell to, they do it to their best and hope that either they will have them buying even if its not today they will in the future or alternatively they will do viral marketing for them to their social and professional network…looking at the bigger picture.

Have a tasteful day :)

WOMAN'S WORTH...

When God created woman he was working late on the 6th day.
An angel came by and said: "Why spend so much time on that one?"

God: "Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her? She must be washable, but not made of plastic. Have more than 200 moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all kinds of food. She must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, give a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart; and she must do all this with only two hands."
Angel: " Just two hands.....IMPOSSIBLE!! And this is the standard model?! Too much work for one day...Wait until tomorrow and then complete her."
God: "I will not. I am so close to complete this creation which will be the favorite of my heart. She cures herself when sick and she can work 18 hours a day."

The angel came nearer and touched the woman.
Angel: "But you have made her so soft Lord."
God: "She is soft but i have also made her strong. You can't imagine what she can endure and overcome."
Angel: "Can she think?"
God: "Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate."

Angel touched the woman's cheek...." Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her!"
God: "She is not leaking...it's a tear."
Angel: "What is it for?"
God: "Tears are her way of expressing grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride"

Angel: "Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything. The woman is indeed marvelous!"
God: "Indeed she is! Woman has the strengths that amaze man...
She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens.
She holds happiness, love and opinions.
She smiles :) when feeling like screaming.
She sings when she feels like crying.
Cries when she is happy and laughs when she is afraid.
She fights for what she believes in.
She stands up against injustice.
She doesn't take 'no' for an answer when she has a better solution.
She gives herself so her family can thrive.
She takes her friend to the doctor if she is afraid.

Her love is unconditional.
She cries when her kids are victorious.
She is happy when her friends do well.
She is glad when she hears of a birth or a wedding.
Her heart is broken when a next of kin or friend dies but she finds the strength to get on with life.
She knows that a kiss and a hug can heal a broken heart.....there's only one thing wrong with her…

SHE FORGETS HER WORTH!

The worth of a woman is priceless...To all the women in the world today...We celebrate you today...Happy international women's day :)

WHAT'S NOT HAPPENING!!!!

WHAT'S NOT HAPPENING!!!!!!

You play your first impression cards perfectly. It was all for the decision maker who is a prospect you were connected to through your social networks. You go home enthusiastic enough to even start budgeting ahead of the commissions you forecast you will be getting. The link up was so smooth that you scheduled a negotiation meeting to be held in a few days time. That night, as you lay your head to sleep, you literally feel your hands touching the sky…

YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE! 

Comes morning the day of the negotiation meeting, you have a discussion with your Relationship Manager from the bank on how you will be taking the top-up loan; I mean you are just about to reel in a cash-cow under your name. You enter your car singing, swaying or whistling to your happy song playing in the background on your way to the meeting. You even hold the door for everyone entering the office on that day. Yes life is perfect!

Meeting goes on smoothly then without a warning sign, for some strange reason, you get turned down by the prospect. You get very disappointed, worked up and remember all the time, effort and resources you invested trying to secure this sales deal. You just can not understand why you failed to get that transaction...yet you were so close...

This is just but a case scenario of a typical sales cycle gone wrong and sadly it happens all the time. Some times its beyond the salesman’s control however under a magnifying glass sometimes it is the salesman’s fault. How??? Glad you asked. Here are some instances which you can avoid as all they do is place a salesman in a position where you are attending a gunfight only to realize you came equipped with a water gun or knife.

Talking too much 

Fine there is a lot you can say about your product in the name of having “passion” for it but not only does talking too much bore the prospects easily, it also tends to make them forget the vital information you passed on earlier. Cut to the chase and stop beating around the bush.

Not enough follow-throughs 

When proper follow-up isn’t done on prospects, it’s more likely that the competition would win them before you realize it. Never forget that your competition is always close-by. So, to really succeed in closing deals and turning prospects into clients, consistent follow-ups are a must.

Pitching to unqualified prospects

Truth be told, you would never allow yourself to go on a date with just about anyone. Everyone has a subconscious checklist of preferences and if the candidate doesn’t fit the criteria, you move on…swiftly. The same applies when it comes to sales, whatever you are selling is not a one size fits all...unless its salt and sugar. You have a certain profile for clients for each product you are selling. Thus selling a product to a prospect who does not fit in the target market criteria is pointless. This is because you end up chasing a person who has no, leave alone little, interest or desire to buy. As a result you end up wasting your time chasing your tail when you could have focused your attention on someone who was serious about making a purchase.

Not Listening

When selling to prospects, we always assume that we are trying to sell to prospects something they might need but are not aware about. Thus we always tend to focus more on what we are going to say next rather than listening to what the prospect is saying. Sadly, we end up being sleazy salesmen.

Getting Names Wrong

Yes you have just met and yes you have met tens or hundreds of people so far. It isn’t a mistake made literally when you call Christine Caroline or Peter Patrick. It also isn’t intentional when you misspell names in emails like Yugin instead of Eugene. Never the less it is human that everyone and I mean EVERYONE loves the sound of their own name. We as human can't help it as it is our sole source of identity and moreover it makes us feel important and valued. Thus Getting someone's name wrong is a sign of uncaring.

Being Funny (NOT!)

This is quite straight forward, you only tell certain personal jokes to your circle of friends, don’t stretch your boundaries to colleagues and customers. This is because if your sense of humor involves making someone else the brunt of your jokes, then you might leave the listener with the question in their mind of when they will become the next person to be made fun of.

Not respecting boundaries

"Pushy salesperson" -On-ground definition is that person who ignores your "no" and who can't hear you when you say that you need time to think. Need I say more….

Espousing strong religious or political beliefs to non-believers

Not everyone shares your beliefs. Whether what you saw, read or heard broke your heart and made you bitter about the political or religious situation in the world, it should not be a source of conversation with your prospects…it is not considered as a safe ice breaker. It actually is the surest way to put people off when you push your beliefs down others throats without their permission.

All mistakes can be avoided but in reality everyone has to make them...Franklin P Jones once said,"Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." Lets learn from our mistakes shall we then :)