Understanding 2 Common Mistakes That’s Stopping You from Closing Deals These Days

The COVID-19 pandemic we’re facing now has definitely brought challenging times that are a stress test for all salespeople.

I have never seen such a wide variety of issues plaguing the fiscal health of business owners – both big and small. Right now, some businesses have thankfully opened again, while others are closed but trying to reopen. But if you’re paying close attention and looking closely around you, you’ll see patterns emerging, and will notice business owners and salespeople making, again and again, the same couple of mistakes.

Let’s talk about these two trending mistakes and how you can avoid making them.

Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another – is a huge part of sales. You need to build trust and establish rapport in order to sell even in normal circumstances, right? So, many out there may feel that being extra empathetic during a crisis seems to be the natural way to proceed.

But that’s also why many sales teams are overly concerned about how they are perceived by their customers. They’re wondering… Why are prospects buying or not buying? What are their main concerns right now? What are their fears and doubts?

So, if the above concerns are causing you not to pick up the phone and close deals, then you’re making one of the biggest sales mistakes of this COVID-19 crisis. Don’t get stuck in your own anxiety about how you’re going to be perceived by your customers, because this could paralyze you!

If you’re not sure about how to approach your customers and prospects during this time, it’s actually quite ok because everyone is also feeling uncertain right now. Just be open and honest with them and they’ll appreciate the fact that you’re not 100% sure how to proceed at this point because let’s face it: everyone’s in uncharted territory right now.

Then, of course, there’s the second common mistake: Assuming that everyone’s not keen on purchasing anything. Yes, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. Yes, things are probably going to get worse before they get better.

But remember: This is not the time to crawl into a hole and wait for someone to tell you it’s okay to start selling again. You have to be a bit more proactive lah, friend! Right now, businesses are still running. For instance, the software industry is still flying high. We’re still closing deals right now, and you can too.

Not all products are created equal and yours might just be able to help your customers through this difficult time. Maybe you have something that will enable people to work remotely with more efficiency, or maybe you can offer a service that takes some tasks off their plate and helps them focus better.

Undoubtedly, failure to tap into digital tools that optimize productivity for home workers is a grave oversight in this day and age. With social distancing precautions, many companies require that their employees work from home until further notice, or have arrangements for staff to be based at home on selected days as we do.

The trick here is to not pretend everything is great. Acknowledge that this is a stressful time. But at the same time, don’t stop selling just because you think that there might be no purchases. Whatever you’re selling, find a way to make it relevant and useful to your customers right now during this crisis!