10 Mistakes to Avoid when Selling to New Prospects

The life of a sales rep is a precarious one and success can be elusive, particularly for beginners. No wonder the production print profession has such high turnover. However, as those who have made it a long-term career have discovered, it can also be rewarding. Getting to that point requires self-awareness and the ability to learn from one’s mistakes. Whether you are selling production print hardware or software, there are some mistakes that you should avoid when approaching new prospects—or even current customers—if you want to close the deal.

Mistake #1 – Failure to do your research. This failure is not an option even on a cold call. Information about the prospect is only a Google search or a click or two away. We’re not saying that you need to discover all the inner workings of the client’s organization. But what you should be armed with is general knowledge of the prospect’s print operation, its product offerings, and its history. And the best place to find that information is the prospect’s website.