Once you do something long enough, no matter what the task is, you start to develop habits. Think about how you drive. Safe drivers are in the habit of always wearing a seat belt, other drivers get out of the habit and rarely wear it. With any task, some developed habits are helpful and other habits can be deadly. Developing habits in sales in no different. Some great sales people develop habits that help them continue to succeed. Many ineffective sales people develop habits that often prevent them from closing a sale.

Here are some of the habits of ineffective sales people that you need to watch out for.

Not following all of the steps in your sales process.

Every good sales person has developed a process that takes them from cold calling to closing the sale. Ineffective sales people will skip through parts of the process thinking it will help to close the sale early. As a sales person, you need to be prepared. Each part of your sales process helps you to be prepared for reaching the final goal. For example, ineffective sales people may skip doing a customer needs assessment assuming that they know exactly what the customer wants. Skipping this part of the process can leave them floundering through a sales presentation if they are off track regarding the issues that the customer faces and what they need to help them.

Taking the path of least resistance.

Good sales people realize that the most receptive prospects are not always the most receptive buyers. Ineffective sales people look for opportunities that are easy. Never mistake friendliness for a willingness to buy. Professional and successful sales people know enough about their prospects to determine if they are going to be potential buyers or if they are just a waste of time. Sales is hard. You need to be able show your prospect how your product or service can help them in their business. Your original goal is to educate the prospect about what you can offer them and this can often be difficult. You need to do your homework up front and know what your prospect needs to break down their resistance.

Setting low goals.

The best sales people set goals that are ambitious and they make a plan to make that goal obtainable. Ineffective sales people simply set low goals. They don’t make a plan. Instead, they set a goal that is easily obtainable. Great sales people want to accomplish as much as they can. Ineffective sales people want to accomplish the least that they can without losing their jobs.

Not listening to the customer

Any good sales person knows that in order to sell you must listen more than you speak. You need to learn about your potential customers. Ineffective sales people make assumptions about what the customer needs. They tend to jump into a sales pitch before actually knowing what they are pitching to. If a sales person does not understand the needs of the customer, they cannot offer solutions.

Giving up too soon.

Every sales person faces objections at some time or another. Good sales people are prepared and are proactive in overcoming objections. By following their sales process step by step, they maintain control over the sale and bring the customer along with them through the process. Ineffective sales people have a much more difficult time with objections. Due to a lack of planning and preparation, ineffective sales people give up far too soon in the sales process because they are not prepared and they do not know how to get past objections.

It is easy to slip into the habits of ineffective sales people. You need to develop a sales process, stick with it, set ambitious goals and do your homework so that you are prepared. Keeping on top of your game will make you an effective and successful sales person.