Not every sale is a good sale. That may sound strange, especially if you're frantically trying to meet your quota and the deadline is looming, but it's nevertheless true. Every salesperson has a customer or two they hate – the one who peppers you with questions and requests, is never satisfied no matter what you do, and always demands the lowest possible price and then complains it's still too expensive. Wouldn't it be easier to never acquire such customers at all? If you focus instead on low-maintenance prospects, you'll find you have a lot more time to pursue sales activities instead of patiently soothing your difficult customers. Just keep an eye out for these warning signs and you'll know when it's time to walk away from a deal.
Laser-Like Price Focus
If all the prospect wants to talk about is cost, price and how many discounts you'll give him, you have a potential monster on your hands. Phrases like, “Just cut to the bottom line and give me the price list,” or “Your competitor, ABC Company, sells the same product for half the price,” are serious red flags. These prospects care only for getting the absolute lowest price, which means you'll have to cut your profit margin to nothing just to acquire them – and the second they find a better price elsewhere, they'll take off. And as long as they remain your customer, they'll be constantly nagging you for price breaks and discounts.
No Forward Motion
Some prospects will take you to a certain point in the sales cycle and then vanish. Your calls go to voicemail and are never returned, your emails vanish into a mysterious black hole. Often this behavior indicates that the prospect doesn't intend to buy from you, but it can also be a stalling technique that he's using to make you desperate. He may hope to wring extra concessions from you just for sitting down to deal. Such behavior might also mean that your prospect isn't actually a decision maker and is not authorized to buy from you. Whatever the cause, don't keep chasing after such a prospect forever. Give them a reasonable number of follow-up attempts and then drop them into your dead file.
Anything That's Not Nailed Down
It's not unknown for prospects to use unethical behavior with salespeople in order to get a better deal. If you catch a prospect doing something illegal or unethical, whether it's directed at you or at someone else, drop him immediately. He'll not only be a difficult customer, but there's an excellent chance that he'll suck you into whatever morass of legal trouble ensues when he finally gets caught with his hand in the till. What's more, he'll probably do his best to rip your company off while he's about it.
The Tyrant
Sometimes you'll stumble across a prospect who uses bullying and intimidation to get his way. If you think this is bad now, just think about the kind of abuse you'll get if you make this person your customer! In certain cases it can be worthwhile to grit your teeth and close the sale – for example, if the bully is a decision maker at a large company and you have inside info that hints he's not long for his job. For the most part, though, this is an excellent person NOT to have as a customer.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
Laser-Like Price Focus
If all the prospect wants to talk about is cost, price and how many discounts you'll give him, you have a potential monster on your hands. Phrases like, “Just cut to the bottom line and give me the price list,” or “Your competitor, ABC Company, sells the same product for half the price,” are serious red flags. These prospects care only for getting the absolute lowest price, which means you'll have to cut your profit margin to nothing just to acquire them – and the second they find a better price elsewhere, they'll take off. And as long as they remain your customer, they'll be constantly nagging you for price breaks and discounts.
No Forward Motion
Some prospects will take you to a certain point in the sales cycle and then vanish. Your calls go to voicemail and are never returned, your emails vanish into a mysterious black hole. Often this behavior indicates that the prospect doesn't intend to buy from you, but it can also be a stalling technique that he's using to make you desperate. He may hope to wring extra concessions from you just for sitting down to deal. Such behavior might also mean that your prospect isn't actually a decision maker and is not authorized to buy from you. Whatever the cause, don't keep chasing after such a prospect forever. Give them a reasonable number of follow-up attempts and then drop them into your dead file.
Anything That's Not Nailed Down
It's not unknown for prospects to use unethical behavior with salespeople in order to get a better deal. If you catch a prospect doing something illegal or unethical, whether it's directed at you or at someone else, drop him immediately. He'll not only be a difficult customer, but there's an excellent chance that he'll suck you into whatever morass of legal trouble ensues when he finally gets caught with his hand in the till. What's more, he'll probably do his best to rip your company off while he's about it.
The Tyrant
Sometimes you'll stumble across a prospect who uses bullying and intimidation to get his way. If you think this is bad now, just think about the kind of abuse you'll get if you make this person your customer! In certain cases it can be worthwhile to grit your teeth and close the sale – for example, if the bully is a decision maker at a large company and you have inside info that hints he's not long for his job. For the most part, though, this is an excellent person NOT to have as a customer.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
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