As sales recruiters, we know sales situations are challenging. More often than not, you hear no, rather than yes. You are faced with constant pushback and reluctance from prospects and customers. And there are countless factors that are involved with closing a deal. It can be a difficult balancing act.

Sometimes, you find yourself in the worst case situation, even if you tried to prevent it. Sometimes, you get caught off guard, you overlook something, or things don’t work out as planned.

Here we’ve put together a list of some of the worst case sales situations and offer solutions for how you can handle them:

1. Do You Know What We Do Here?

As they say, failure to prepare is preparing to fail. If you’ve ever been asked a question you don’t have the answer to on a sales call, you know exactly how embarrassing and difficult a situation this can be. This happens frequently on the initial sales call and during prospecting. Know who you are calling, what they do, and how you can help them before dialling.

2. Flaking After a Verbal Agreement Is Reached

Your client has agreed verbally to a deal. Awesome! Now, all you need to do is get the paperwork in order and you can close the deal. One problem – the client has a change of heart and flakes on the deal. This can be a tough situation, especially if you have already counted on this as a done deal and told your boss the deal is a sure thing. Never assume a deal is closed until it is actually closed.

3. Can You Send Me Some More Information and I’ll Get Back to You

This is a tough situation. Some clients are genuinely interested in learning more and have good intentions. Most use this tactic to get salespeople off the phone. To avoid this, be succinct and to the point with your call. Try to grab the customer’s attention immediately to engage them before they get a chance to say “no, thanks.”

4. Getting Blindsided

No one wants to get blindsided, but it happens, especially during sales calls and meetings. Customers may have you meet with more people than you expected or want to speak with you about topics you are not prepared to discuss. Some may even blindside you with a “take it or leave it” scenario. You can avoid this by sending out meeting invites and an agenda of what will be discussed to know who will be attending and keep things on track.

More Tips From Sales Recruiters To Help You Sell Better:

4 Innovative Ways to Break Bad News to Your Sales Customer

6 of the Worst Sales Presentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

4 Phrases That Will KILL Your Sales Demonstration

SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.