4 Things Sales Reps Should Never Do on Sales Calls (Plus a bonus tip)

Beyond your professional appearance, sparkling personality and solid listening skills as a successful sales rep, there’s an abundance of hidden habits you practice daily to create off the charts performance. While often unnoticed, these secret skills are the key to your success.

But what about the things you do unconsciously that sabotage your sales success? Customers may not realize they’re being affected by your good traits, but they’ll always feel it when bad habits make an appearance.

Here are 4 things you should never do on a sales call.

1. Looking at your watch or cell phone- The moment you look at your watch or cell phone, you’ve inadvertently delivered the message that something else is more important than the person sitting in front of you.

Silence your phone or put it away, and have the self control not to glance at your watch. The person sitting in front of you must feel as though they are the most important person in the world to you – because actually, they are. They are the key to your meeting quota.

2. Filling the space with the sound of your own voice is a clear sign that your needs are more important than your potential customer’s.

I, I, I, I is the mantra of both a narcissist and a bad sales rep. Ask solid questions, then keep your mouth closed. When they stop talking, count to 5 silently in your head to make sure they’re done. Successful and confident people aren’t afraid of the sound of silence. Most times, that silence is fertile ground for vital information.

3. Not following through on the smallest of details.

Unsuccessful reps don’t realize that the way they do anything is the way they do everything. Promising to get an answer, to call back on a specific day, or get back to them with follow-up and then not doing so is deadly. Credibility and trust are built in small steps and are broken the same manner. Even calling back on the promised day to say you don’t have the answer is better than no follow up.

4. Name calling.

Customers are smart.You may know your product line, but customers know when they’re being played. Repeating their name over and over again does not establish rapport, it makes you sound like a used car salesman. Don’t be disingenuous with customers.

And your important bonus tip?

Every single one of these count big time on a job interview.