6 Sins of Sales: Who, What, When, Why, Where, hoW

There’s probably a lot of “sins of sales,” certain things that a salesperson should not do under any circumstances. But there’s a few things in particular that make it difficult to succeed in the sales world.
The infographic is based on the ebook of the same name.

These sins are categorized under the 6 W’s: Who, What, When, Why, Where, hoW.

1. Who: Selling to the wrong buyer. This is a big sin! If you sell to the wrong buyer, any possibility of closing a sale is eliminated. Customers who don’t have a significant enough need, selling to someone who cannot make purchasing decisions, and those who aren’t in the target market, are the wrong buyer.
2. What: Lack of knowledge. Make sure that you know enough about your customer, the industry, and your product. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
3. When: Bad timing. Timing is critical, and when you have bad timing, it can even cost you the sale.
4. Why: Not learning from winning and losing. If you aren’t learning from your mistakes as a salesperson, you will very quickly fall behind your colleagues and lose profits. Operate on a growth model, where each loss is a chance for growth.
5. Where: Wrong place at the wrong time. If you don’t understand your buyers’ process or use the wrong tactics at the wrong time, you’re putting your sale at risk.
6. How: Outdated methods or no methods. If you use a methodology that is not up to date, it simply isn’t worth it. Using old programs that do not help you keep up with today’s fast-paced world are not worthy of your time.

There are a lot of sins in the business world, including 6 Deadly Sins of CRM. This correlates directly with sin six, “how.” If your CRM system is out of date and not helping you solve problems or meet your needs as a company, you are shorting yourself valuable time and profits.