There is no shortage of sales advice out there. There are blogs, newsletters, e-books, and training manuals. Unfortunately, not all of the sales advice and selling tips you read are good. In fact, some of the advice out there is downright terrible and could actually hurt your chances of closing a deal.

5 of the Worst Selling Tips to Ignore

Our recruiters have put together a list of some of the worst selling tips you should ignore:

1. Talk more than listen

Too often, sales reps spend too much time talking about their products and services that they forget one of the most important aspects of selling – listening and understanding the customer’s needs. So, stop trying to sell until you actually understand what you need to sell and how you can help the customer.

2. Go with the flow

There is a reason companies invest heavily in refining and updating their sales process – because it’s been proven to work. Just going with the flow, or going too far off script, makes it more difficult to track your progress and whether or not what you are doing is actually helping you get closer to a sale.

3. Close at all costs

There is a time and place when sales reps need to give up on some leads and move on to the next one. You can’t close every deal. In fact, you won’t close most of them. But persistently trying to close someone who is not interested and unlikely to work with you is just as waste of time and effort.

4. Fake it until you make it

Nobody likes fake people. So, don’t pretend to be something you are not just to close a deal. People will pick up on your act rather quickly and then disengage.

5. A sale is a sale

Not all sales are the same. If your end game is to close as many deals as possible without considering the client’s side of things, you are doomed to eventually have things blow up in your face. If a customer feels pressured, has buyer’s remorse, or feels like you didn’t treat them well, you’ll lose the customer and the potential for a long-term stream of revenue.

More Selling Advice From Sales Recruiters

Read these blog posts by our sales recruiters to get more great selling tips and advice:

Don’t Be a Sell Out! 4 Sales Tips to Sell Without Selling

The Power of Great Storytelling in Sales

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.