Mistakes we commit are forgivable only when we learn from them and we do not repeat these in the future. The same thing is true with sales. Most of the time we see that the sales representatives do not have any idea as to what went wrong with the clients, which keeps them from converting. This could very well be attributed to the fact that the sales reps are repeating the same mistakes over and again, pretty much the worst part is they don’t even know what they did wrong until someone tells them, like a conversation intelligence platform for sales teams.

The biggest mistake most salespeople make is failure to follow through with customer questions and objections. Arguing with customers or asking irrelevant questions leads to poor customer service. Too much emphasis on price does often lead to the biggest sales mistake.

Also, we have got one long list of all the kinds of sales mistakes most of the reps commit while on calls, along with how to avoid them at all costs. 

Most common mistakes in sales pitching 

Here are some most common mistakes in sales pitching:

1. Poor listening ability

This seems to be purely sales, though people have a real habit of spreading the word on their product or service.  You can’t talk about your own product to worry about customer problems. 

That definitely does not imply silence, though. 

It is quite specific to your organisation, but experts believe that a rule of thumb would be something like 60:40 (60 listening). A study has shown that the top sales people allow the prospects to speak 57% of the time(on average). Most of them do fancy questions and then let the prospects speak.

These reps are consciousness directing in the discussion with the right questions/inputs, so the prospect can march toward making the sale. The sales reps know when to speak and when to listen; that is how it is done. 

2. Disclosing Too Much Information 

The more you talk, the more you give unnecessary information which can sometimes go against you. It’s okay to tell greater amounts of information but, just in limits, make the prospects do the hard work to obtain information or consult them with you. It should be motivated by their interest in your products or services.

It makes no sense to open the door so much to too much access to information about it, without getting something in return. So be precise and give what is needed, which pushes the prospect toward closing. Summarise them, either manually or through the best summarising AI, to speak about them. Remember, you are selling something, not providing unnecessary information to the prospect.

3. Talking more on price than value

Once a customer appreciates the utility of your product, the price would usually take a backseat. At least, it becomes the second most important criterion, not the first. Contrary to what you are thinking, price does not have the ultimate importance in determining the course that sales will take.

Firstly, slashing your price too much or practically giving away your product is possible only for a short duration. Secondly, even if you give away something for free, nobody will take it if it has no utility value at all. Then again, if it has some value, then people would pay a lot to buy it. Thus must your value proposition be driven; not the price proposition (of the given value).

4. No purpose of closing a sale

Sales people focus more on their pitches and slideshows rather than on real selling. It is to show off their oratory skills and sales craftsmanship to colleagues, juniors and seniors in the establishment. That, however, has to stop because it’s of no help to you or anyone else.

The vital importance in sales is to convert a prospect to a customer and that should be the focus. It is obvious that the sales presentation and the design can be significant, but the most important is still that very “good old” solving of the customer problem. 

Besides, you must be clear with the prospect that you’re in on this conversation to sell. You have to ask them to buy. It is the easiest and straightforward way.  Don’t distract yourself with idle talk from achieving your purpose in this conversation. 

5. Come to disputation with a potential customer 

Dispute ensues easily when a prospective customer does not approve of your points. Sometimes, the prospect is blind to reality, and therefore the arguments raised by him are not reasonable at all. When you try to rectify the variations, arguments strike up. Get this one thing: You are part of an organization. There is a way to deal with such situations, and that is usually never to argue. 

So what should you do? 

Keep quiet or, better still, empathise with their issues. Ask questions to clarify the point and let them know that you might need some more time to solve the objections. Finally, if you feel you have hit a brick wall with the prospect, very amicably bring the conversation to a close and move on. Just don’t argue to get your point across. Remember, you can win a war by purposefully losing some battles. 

6. Sales representative is under prepared

Being under prepared is a crime in sales. However, 42% of sales reps feel that they don’t get enough information prior to calling. 

If you are going to sell something (mostly high-value stuff), you need to know everything about the prospect. Ok, not everything most things. This is so because your prospect is also going to run a good research on you. To leave a good impression, do complete research. Put yourself into the shoes of your prospect and understand what kind of sales challenges they are facing every single day. Here are the questions that they might ask after you finally carry out the conversation.

This research makes you ask specific questions, dig into appropriate trenches, and finally present solution options that can cleanly solve the problem. It is knowing one personally and professionally that shows a commitment and dedication to work. This creates trust and respect.

Everyone wants to buy from someone that they can trust.

7. Not able talk to decision makers

The entire sales process wherein you can’t reach the executives who’ve made the company purchase decisions is useless. Bring the decision-maker into the sales process early to ensure this is a successful sale. It will be more effective when you tell the advantages of your product and deal directly to the decision maker. 

Caveat: This does not mean that you should not talk to other people who are involved in processes. During the whole sales process, you will cross paths with such people as gatekeepers, influencers, users of the product, and champions. These people most probably take you to the decision-maker. Your work is to identify such people as opposed to wasting time on any random person. 

8. Not asking the difficult questions 

Sometimes sales reps try to avoid asking hard questions to their prospect. Either they are not prepared well enough, or probably lack enough experience themselves. When it becomes a topic of discussion a missed opportunity to build some rapport and trust with the clients goes down the drain.

As a salesperson, one should always ask the hard ones like: “Why indeed are you considering us after such a long term relationship with our competitor?” “What do you think about our price?” “Are you comfortable with our company policies?”, etc. Doing this enables one to understand the mindset of the prospect and also makes closing more successful than previously. 

9. The only one selling 

There might not be an answer to a question posed by the prospect at times. Don’t do it alone; always reach out to other people in your company. For example, a product manager will be able to explain better about the technicalities of the product. 

As said, don’t be ashamed to ask for help since it increases your chances to sell the deal.

By avoiding these mistakes, sales professionals can refine their pitching strategy and increase their chances of closing deals in 2025. For expert guidance, London Premier Hub of Training and Consulting offers tailored solutions to enhance your sales approach.