Pretend that you’re an experienced buyer who has met with hundreds of business-to-business salespeople. What percentage of them would you say are excellent, good, average, or poor?
7 Reasons Salespeople Don’t Close the Deal
Based on a new study of B2B buyers.
August 02, 2017
Summary.
When you ask B2B buyers about the skills of the salespeople who call on them, they rate two-thirds of reps as either average or poor performers. New research highlights seven reasons these salespeople garner low ratings, including inability to communicate with top management, appearing self-centered, inability to explain how the client benefits from the sale, and trouble building personal rapport with the buyer. Understanding these weaknesses can help sales reps improve.
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New!
HBR Learning
Marketing Essentials Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Marketing Essentials. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Learn how to communicate with your customers—strategically.