When we think of robots, we think of mindless machines that do repetitive tasks over and over. The robots at an automotive assembly plant, for example, tediously repeat the same welds, bolt-ons, paint swipes, etc. all day, every day. Over and over.
People get this same way, becoming repetitive in their tasks and doing them mindlessly. We often refer to it as “wash, rinse, repeat.” When a salesperson falls into this rut and continually just goes through the motions, that salesperson has become a robot and is losing precious sales, beneficial contacts, and more. They often under-perform as well.
To change their pattern, it first has to be identified and then broken. Here are ten signs you are dealing with a sales robot.
#1 Launches into the sales pitch as quickly as possible, dispensing with many of the “get to know you” questions and without listening to the customer.
#2 Makes quick assumptions about customers, prospects, and their needs – usually to coincide with the pitch launched in #1.
#3 No longer asks any leading, value, or qualifying questions of the prospect, instead opting to go with #1 and hope the pitch weeds out the unqualified.
#4 Uses the same sales pitch with nearly every customer. This, again, coincides with number 1 and 2.
#5 Believes that sales is a numbers game and puts all of his or her efforts into finding new prospects rather than honing the approach and style for the ones already present.
#6 To go with #5, the robot salesperson also rarely does follow up except as a means of closing a deal.
#7 Ignores all else and goes for price reductions to make the sale. Every time.
#8 Utters phrases like “research is for scientists” and ignores the value of knowing the client, business, industry, and trends.
#9 Does not talk with the customer in any way, even to clarify things that seem ambiguous or to find out what their objections are.
#10 Has stopped learning about the business and instead relies on “experience” while often referring to “the good ol’ days.”
If you know of a salesperson who falls into any or all of these ruts, that person is a robot. To jolt them back to reality often requires extreme measures, though sometimes the rut is temporary as he or she deals with issues outside of work. Quite often, motivation is the key factor to the loss of interest in the work, product, and company and has resulted in a ho-hum attitude towards sales.
Whatever the reason for the robotic behaviour, get to the bottom of it and do what you can to push the salesperson out of their rut.