1.     Lack of follow up:  I shouldn’t have to chase you to give you my money! That goes for the painter I called for an estimate, the computer technician I reached out to for a repair, and the B2B salesperson who allows more than a day to go by without returning my call.  When someone calls you for business, you’ve got to return their call promptly. My rule is that if you call me in the morning, I need to respond by the afternoon and if you call me in the afternoon, I will get back to you by the following morning.

2.     Lack of follow up (yes again):  Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it.  If you say, you’ll call Friday at 1:00 do it.  If the proposal is due Tuesday at 9:00 get it there Monday evening.  If you tell me you need to come to look at the job, make a time and stick with it.  Rescheduling, from time to time, is inevitable but don’t make a habit of it. Follow up!

3.    Lateness:  If our meeting is at 8:30, be there at 8:15.  When I was in the presidential guard with the US Navy, my Master Chief held quarters (the meeting to start each day) at 6:00.  He was always there early, waiting for the us to arrive.  If you showed up at 6:00 on the dot, he would say, “On time is ten minutes late in my world son.”  I understood and have never forgotten that.  If a meeting is to start at 6:00 being early allows for some chit-chat, coffee fixing, note shuffling, etc. and keeps the start time intact.  Always be early.

4.    Diarrhea of the mouth: Listen, listen, listen.  Then ask questions and listen, listen, listen some more.  The needs of the client are what drives the sale not your need to move a product.  Genuinely understanding what your client wants and why they want it is the greatest closing tool in your bag.

5.    Excuses for poor performance:  The title of my first sales CD is “Are you lazy or do you simply lack talent?”  I still stand by that title.  Personal responsibility trumps everything for me.  If you find yourself blaming the marketplace, your clients, your company or your product, it’s time to look in the mirror.  “Are you lazy,” means, Could you work a bit harder; put in a little more effort?  Are you checking out during the day?  Do you spend time on Facebook, personal calls or incessantly looking at, and reacting to, notifications on your phone?  “Do you simply lack talent” means, “Do you need more training?  Do you need to bolster your sales or product knowledge?” Should you interview a senior, successful, salesperson and learn some of what they do? When you get honest with yourself, if you aren’t hitting your numbers the root cause is only one or the other, effort or knowledge, isn’t it?

Own your sales gene…