The Sales Archaeologist

I was really inspired to write this post by this recently published great article about 7 bad habits of executives. That got me thinking about the bad habits that sales people can sometimes “acquire” as they go about their business. Oddly enough some of these bad habits are shaped by the prospects that they encounter – kind of like having a battle strategy that is planned by an opposing general or a football team asking their top rival “how would you like us to play?”

We measure sales people for something we call record collection and understanding what non supportive beliefs you have developed or maintained is important but that is not necessarily the same as a bad habit.

Habit is defined as an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary: the habit of looking both ways before crossing the street.

So when we talk about bad sales habits we are talking about activities, behaviors and actions that we find ourselves doing without even knowing we are doing them. How dangerous! Additionally since this time of year seems to be the time when many people start to think about changing habits – we are all aware of how difficult changing from one way of doing things to another can be. Changing from bad sales habits will also require a commitment and a desire to get better and improve.

Here are the seven bad sales habits that I see engrained often and I would love to know if you have seen others or perhaps you are battling one yourself? Maybe you would like a specific post that could address the best ways to break the habit? Let us know and we will try to help.

• Presenting Information – at the wrong time, too early or simply speaking too much whenever you are asked a question.
• Not speaking with the right person in the organization – typically a person too low in the org chart to authorize the spending or the decision.
• Failing to have a clear and understandable Money Conversation.
• Not creating the right amount of urgency.
• Discounting when not required.
• Not establishing definitive next steps with a concrete date and time – after every discussion.
• Failing to follow a Sales Process  that is criteria based.

As I said there are more than seven bad habits – but perhaps it is good to select at least one of these and decide to fix it in 2012? Make a new year’s sales resolution and share it with someone that will hold you accountable.