7 Reasons Why People Lose Easy Sales

We’ve all had that easy sale that got away. The deal we thought was in the bag. In fact, we were likely counting the commission even though the paperwork wasn’t signed, sealed and delivered.

There are many reasons why sales people lose easy sales. Here are seven of them.

1. They didn’t give it 100% effort

Sometimes it’s easy to get side-tracked from the easy deals and as a result, we don’t give that particular sale the attention it deserves. The size and scope of the opportunity may be small so we don’t think it’s worth the effort. Or, the opportunity may come from an existing customer and we think we are the only person in the running.

Which brings me to the next reason…

2. They didn’t think about the competition

I made this fatal mistake.

Once.

All because I didn’t ask my prospect who else they were considering for the project.

Had I asked that all-important question, I would have changed my approach, been more prepared for my presentation and taken a slightly different approach.

3. They were talking to the wrong person

I remember discussing sales training with someone several years and based on the way the conversation was progressing, I was sure it was a done deal, especially since I was talking to the CEO of the company. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask who else might be involved in the decision until it was too late.

Although my contact was eager to move forward, his colleague was not. Had I known that he needed to discuss the decision with someone else, I would have attempted to open a dialogue with his colleague, too.

Unfortunately, I was too late and the deal failed.

4. They didn’t ask the right questions

Had I asked the right question (Who else do you normally consult with on decisions of this nature?) in the above situation, I would have learned that someone else was involved in the decision making process and I would have modified my approach accordingly.

It sounds deceptively easy, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, we sometimes put blinders on and race forward with a solution when we should be asking another question or two. Before you jump to presenting your offering, ask yourself, “Do I know enough about this person’s situation to move the sales conversation forward?”

5. They thought the sale was a gimme

We often think that easy sales are gimme’s. In other words, we believe we have it in the bag and that we don’t need to worry about it.

6. They made too many assumptions

The biggest reason people fail to capture easy sales is that they make too many assumptions. See all the points above.

7. They didn’t follow-up promptly

Sometimes an easy sale is lost because we didn’t follow up as promised or as quickly as a competitor. In today’s world of instant communication, you can easily lose a sale to a competitor who responded or follow-up faster.

A few years ago I was booking hotel space for a sales training program and I contacted several hotels for information. The hotel that was fastest to respond ended up getting my business.

These are just seven reasons why sales people lose easy sales. I’m sure there are plenty more. What do you think?

What other reasons can you think of?