Sales mistakes that are costing you clients (and how to fix them)

My inbox is full of them. Emails and LinkedIn DMs from fitness coaches, consultants, and professional services firms, pitching me with copy-and-paste messages where my name has been dropped in where it clearly doesn't belong.

Every week I sit in on client demos, read through LinkedIn outreach, and listen to sales calls. And the same mistakes keep coming up, whether the person making them is a solopreneur, a business owner, or part of a corporate sales team.

Here's what I see most often - and what to do instead.

Sales mistakes solopreneurs make

If you're running your own business, the temptation is to reach out once, get no response, and tell yourself the prospect isn't interested. It's easier than facing the discomfort of following up. These are the three patterns I see constantly.

• Trying once and giving up. Most people need to hear from you several times before they're ready to act. One message and silence is not a strategy. Most people need several touchpoints before they're ready to act - here's how long you should chase a prospect before letting go.
• Believing that interested people will come to you. Some will. Most won't. Waiting to be found is a plan for a very quiet pipeline.
• Not asking for recommendations. When you do exceptional work, ask: "Who in your network could benefit from what I do?" Most happy clients will tell you - they just need the prompt. Find out here why referrals are vital for your sales strategy.

Sales mistakes business owners need to stop making

Business owners tend to make different mistakes - less about follow-up, more about shortcuts and assumptions. These three come up more than any others.

• Sending copy-and-paste outreach with a name swapped in. People can tell. Nobody wants to do business with someone who couldn't be bothered to personalise a single line.
• Assuming only big training companies are worth hiring. Bigger doesn't mean better. Large firms often deliver off-the-shelf content that has nothing to do with how your team actually sells, or who they're selling to.
• Saying you're too busy for LinkedIn. If you're in B2B and you're not showing up on LinkedIn, you're leaving sales on the table. It's not optional any more.

Corporate sales mistakes that lose you clients

Corporate sales teams have their own version of these problems. More resource, more process - but often the same fundamental errors, just at greater scale.

• Sending four cold emails back to back. Persistence matters - but four emails in a row tells the prospect you care more about your target than their situation. Givers succeed in sales. Takers get ignored.
• Not investing in your own development. Your company might pay for some training. But your growth is your responsibility. Read. Listen to podcasts. Get a coach. The skills that got you here won't automatically carry you forward.
• Pitching without understanding the business. The person you're selling to doesn't want a generic message. They want to feel like you've taken the time to understand what they're dealing with. That means doing your homework before you open your mouth.

What it all comes down to

Sales isn't about being pushy or clever. It's about consistency, genuine interest in the other person, and doing the basics well - repeatedly.

I was recently back at Terex for the third time delivering training. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because the relationship was built properly from the start.

If you want to talk about how to fix your sales approach,  get in touch here.