In most professions, there are stories and myths that abound that are simply not true. The sales profession is not exempt from these stories. There are many sales myths that are not only not true, but also could hurt you professionally. These are sales myths that you need to make sure you avoid believing in or acting on.  Believing some of these myths can hurt your sales and your reputation as a sales professional.  These are the top five sales myths:

1. People only look at price when they make a buying decision.

This is one of the most prevalent sales myths.  While it is true that price is a factor when making a buying decision, it is far from the only factor that buyers consider.  In addition to price, buyers look at the quality of your product or service, the reputation of the company they are buying from, how closely the product or service fits their needs, and a myriad of other factors.  Usually, the only time the buyer makes a decision based mainly on the price, is when the sales person has not differentiated the product or service enough from similar competitors’ products.

2. Your sales technique will work for all buyers.

In terms of sales myths, this one can lose you sales and prospective clients. Each client is different and may be focusing on different aspects of your product or service. You need to approach each sale the same way you approach people in general. Everyone is an individual. A professional sales person will do their homework and realize the needs that each individual buyer has. A one-size fits all approach to selling is not going to work.  You need to ignore the sales myths and do your best to maintain flexibility in your sales approach in order to meet individual needs.

3. The sale is not worth it if it takes too long to close.

This is one of those sales myths that is somewhat insane. As a sales professional, you know how important it is to build relationships. Building relationships and the time it takes to build them, varies with the person with whom you are trying to work with. Good relationships mean repeat sales and referrals. Always take the time to make sure you have met the needs of the customer and ignore the sales myths that suggest otherwise.

4. You need to do whatever it takes to close a sale.

Let’s be honest. Not all sales can be closed. Buying into sales myths like this can ruin your reputation. It takes a long time to develop a professional reputation.  Using high-pressure sales tactics may work, but they will not get you repeat sales or referrals. Instead, you will have a reputation of being aggressive and manipulative. You want to build customer loyalty and focus on the needs of the customer to increase your sales success.

5. Anybody can be persuaded to buy anything.

This is one of those sales myths that goes back a long way. High-pressure sales people claiming they could sell anything to anybody whether they needed it or not. This may have been true in the past, but today’s buyers have a lot more information available to them and do not have to depend on only the information from the sales rep. Today’s buyer knows what they need and where to get it. Rather than waste your time on a buyer who does not need your product or service, move on to someone who does.

It is very important that you avoiding falling into the trap of believing these sales myths. Buyers today have a great deal of buying savvy. They know what they want and what they need. As a sales professional, it is up to you to develop relationships and maintain your reputation to increase your sales success.