How to kill the sale
Not too long ago, I had an interaction with a rep from a trade association through which I was trying to book a client for a sponsorship/speaking opportunity. My interactions with this so-called industry “expert,” left much to be desired and provides a good example of how to kill a sale.
You see, in our discussions, he tried to sell his services in order to make our curriculum more of a value to the audience. When I asked for his bio to discuss this option with my client, he got all puffed up and said: “If you read my LinkedIn profile, you would know I am qualified.”
Here is how not to get the sale:
- Don’t answer emails or calls.
- When you do return the call, don’t answer questions about the organization you represent, but pitch your personal services for a fee.
- Don’t have sales materials that explain what you do.
- Have a confusing website.
- Get offended when asked for credentials or a bio.
- Make the client search to find out why you are qualified to do the work for which they want to hire you. Tell them to “look you up on LinkedIn.”
- Make yourself more important than your prospect.