3 Common Sales Practices That Irritate Prospects to No End [Infographic]

Imagine you're actively searching for a product to solve a business need. You request a demo from a vendor, and a business development rep calls you an hour or two later. You tell them what you're looking for, as well describe as your timeline, budget, and decision process. It all sounds good to the BDR, who says they're going to schedule a demo with a sales specialist for later in the week.

Fast forward to the day of the demo. The new sales contact introduces themselves, and you exchange pleasantries for a minute or two. Then they start asking questions.

Just one problem. They're the exact same questions you answered the week before. It becomes apparent that the business development rep and sales specialist have not communicated at all.

Ugh.

Next, it's time for the demo. If you expected a tailored presentation, you realize pretty quickly that you're going to be disappointed. Because the salesperson didn't research you ahead of time or learn about your situation from the BDR, they simply launch into their canned pitch. And 85% has nothing to do with your business issues.

Double ugh.

Would you buy from this vendor? Probably not -- and I wouldn't blame you.

According to a survey from NewVoiceMedia, you're not alone in your distaste for these poor sales practices. The company's research uncovered three sales prospecting habits that turn prospects off in a hurry:

• 71% of respondents were irritated by salespeople who didn't listen
• 52% were frustrated when the sales rep didn't remember information they had previously divulged
• 59% were annoyed by generic sales pitches

But poor sales experiences are the exception to the rule, right? Wrong. The data found that a scant 18% of survey takers were completely satisfied with the sales outreach they'd received, and 24% classified themselves as "completely dissatisfied." 

If you want to start off with great sales interactions and stay on your prospects' good side, take a look at the following infographic. You might just save yourself a sale.