Avoid This Email Sales Fail

One of my favorite things I love asking sales people about is the worst sales experience they can recall. The stories I’ve heard range from “splitting my pants in a meeting” to “the customer fell asleep during my presentation” or this true story, “I walked in on my buyer making out with my competitor.” Yeah, that guy didn’t get the sale.

Those terrifically tragic stories remind me of how interesting and fun this profession is and how great sales professionals are constantly learning and trying to improve their skills.

Recently, I asked my mastermind group of Women Sales Pros to share one of the actions or behaviors they see sales pros doing that is counter productive or preventing sales.

Over the next 4 weeks we’ll highlight a specific sales fail from leading sales trainers and consultants around the country. With dozens of years of experience, it was hard for them to pick just one thing to talk about!

This week, I asked Alice Kemper, Founder and CEO of Sales Training Consultants, Inc. the question:

“If you could tell sales professionals to stop doing this ONE THING what would it be? 

I would tell them to STOP hiding behind email. Sellers are losing sales daily by responding to or initiating emails with irate customers, problem situations or incomplete requests for information. Get on the phone, ask the clarifying questions, and gain all the pertinent information. You’ll close more deals than the competition—because they’re hiding behind emails and now you’re not!”

Alice makes a great point.

Are You Hiding Behind Email?

• Do you send an email to a lead, hoping they respond?
• Are you sending your proposals via email and getting no response?
• Do you respond via email to an uncomfortable situation where you’re trying to avoid conflict?
• Are you killing your customers or prospects with questions or detail loaded emails?

Stop and think about how many times you are reverting to email when you should pick the phone up and have a conversation.

• Can you communicate or create better understanding in person?
• Will you increase your trust and credibility by meeting face to face?
• Can you defuse situations by hearing someone’s voice or reading their body language?

We’re pretty comfortable with email. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s productive and it’s effective. But it does have its limitations. Take Alice’s advice and stop hiding behind your email and hoping the inbox does all the heavy lifting for you.