Learn From Your Mistakes
Each of us makes mistakes, some big and some small. However, repeating mistakes, or failing to learn their lessons, will lead you no where. Learning from your mistakes by careful examination of the cause(s) will enable you to improve your overall approach, and keep repeat errors to a minimum.
Here are five steps to analyzing your mishaps, and transforming them into important learning experiences.
1. Research the mistake diligently. The root of a mistake or lost sale may not be what appears most obvious. Uncover every factor that contributed to the problem, the obvious cause may be hiding other factors that need to be addressed.
If you lost the sale because you sold the wrong service/platform, you may need an update on the service offerings now in place.
Many sales mistakes can be eliminated by annually attending your Check or Bankcard provider training. As an example, CrossCheck, in Rohnert Park, California, offers Monthly Sales Training which will update you on CrossCheck's current platform, service offerings, and operations. Consider calling CrossCheck to register for the next Training Seminar.
2. Analyze your Standard Sales Approach (SSA). Look at your routines--is there a recurring pattern of problems or mistakes? The correction and elimination of mistakes may require a minor (or perhaps major) alteration to your SSA. Perhaps the promises you are making at the time of sale are unrealistic:
(Promising terminals more rapidly than you can acquire and program them, or in the case of Check Guarantee, offering the inappropriate courtesies for a given SIC code.)
Confirming your own office equipment inventory or phone call to your bank service provider or CrossCheck Sales Support Rep before your sales presentation, would allow you to confirm which program features and rates are applicable.
Don't get stuck offering what can't be delivered, review your presentations before you pitch your prospect.
3. Generalize your solution to other areas of your business. If your mistake is the result of poor listening skills, practice listening without interrupting during all of your conversations. Poor listening skills can adversely affect your life and business in all areas. Spend more time listening than talking to reduce errors of misunderstanding.
4. Examine any deviations from your SSA. If "special circumstances" are leading to mistakes, changes in your approach may help eliminate these blunders. Routines are an essential business element to both reduce mistakes and improve efficiency. Once you've established your routines and sales approach, vary from them only when absolutely necessary. Pre-planning of the sales call will help to eliminate misquotes and confusion.
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