We like to be positive people here at Amack, but sometimes it’s important to remember what NOT to do as well as what TO do. We got the Amack team together and asked them for their biggest no-nos when closing a sale.
What not to say
Don’t…
“Explain how much money you will personally be making by closing this deal, hence why you care about it,” advises Ileana Volpe. If that’s really your focus, you might be in the wrong job - but at least try and hide it!
Don’t…
“Talk about yourself,” says Tony Margolis. Yep. This isn’t about you; it’s about them.
Don’t…
“Tell them about the USPs of your competitors,” counsels Yoni Raveh. Everyone knows that if you’re spilling the beans about a competitor, you’ll do the same to them with their competitors…
What not to do
Don’t…
“Just list product features without understanding merchant needs,” suggests Jackie Wade. If you haven’t tailored your pitch to their needs, you might as well not have turned up.
Don’t…
“Feature dump when not relevant,” advises Shelley Walsh. You’re here to listen to their story, not bore them with yours. Make them feel that everything you tell them is 100% relevant to their development plan.
Don’t…
“Fail to know enough about the challenges faced by the prospective client and the temperature of the problem to solve (e.g. how important it is to them),” urges Ian Nicholson. If they don’t feel you’ve taken them seriously they’ll already know there’s no way you can understand their business.
Etiquette Must-Nots
Don’t…
“Be late for meetings,” reminds Tony Margolis. “Or interrupt while the prospective client is speaking.” Classic pieces of advice, but so important. Lateness and not listening just says the person you are meeting is not your priority. It also says you behave like a bit of a toddler.
Don’t…
“Talk over your customers. You have two ears and one mouth!” reminds Jackie Wade. Use them in that same ratio.
Don’t…
“Let them do the follow up,” pleads Ileana Volpe. Playing hard-to-get is not for the pitching room. Email or call the next day to say ‘thanks for meeting us’ and to discuss next steps.
Don’t…
“Forget to go the extra mile,” says Antoine Metivier. Don’t be fooled into thinking doing a bit more than everyone else would is somehow a bonus. If you even want to be in the game, where a sale is concerned you need to be always giving that little bit more.
And, because we always like to end on a positive note, here are five things that might seem basic but go a long way and bear repeating…
Smile and look everyone in the eye.
Remember a detail or two about the person you’re talking to.
Be well turned out, shiny of shoe and smelling great! (You’d be surprised how many people don’t manage even this!)
Let them know that you’re interested in them and their business and that you admire what they’re doing.
Be there early. And bring the coffees and cakes!
