Anatomy of a Lost Order

Understanding how an order was lost demands brutal honesty--and honest self examination--something salespeople are often reluctant to expose.  The Harvard Business Review did a survey of 230 buyers, asking them to grade the salespeople who come to them to sell their products.  The results are shocking: the buyers rated only 12% of salespeople as "excellent"; 23% as "good"; 38% as "average"; and 27% as "poor".  There was no corresponding interview of salespeople to ask them how they rated themselves, but I suspect 80% of us think we're "excellent" and 20% think we're "good".  Ego is important when you have a job that involves so much rejection, but ego is a deal killer in the buyer's office.
What are buyers looking for?
1.  They want to TRUST the salesperson; they want to feel that the salesperson is being honest about his product and what it can do--and being honest about what it can't do.
2.  They want a salesperson who can converse intelligently.  This is huge!  How does a 30 year old salesperson converse intelligently with a 55 year old buyer--one who's heard it all?  This demands a well-rounded salesperson: one who reads the newspaper, reads books, knows "stuff"--not just his product.  This demands a salesperson who reads about and understand the customer's business, who looks around the customer's office and sees the customer's interests and can talk about lots of things.
3.  The buyer wants to understand how the salesperson's product is going to help his company and how the salesperson's company is going to be there to help solve aftermarket problems.
4.  The buyer doesn't want to feel like he's being forced to order.  I've known lots of salespeople who push the issue--"my kid's going to college, I need the commission.  Come on, give me the order."  This is not a good strategy.  Giving you the order puts the buyer at risk (what if he made a mistake with your product). You have to make him feel comfortable with giving you the order.
5.  Make a personal connection with the buyer and make sure he understands that you will be there for him if there are any problems with the order.
6.  Be humble.  Buyers hate arrogance.  If your product was the best in the world, they wouldn't need salespeople; if your company were the best in the world, they wouldn't need you.  You, the salesperson, are simply a channel to get your product into the customer's hands to help him solve a problem.  Be the best channel you can be.
TRUST, HONESTY, HUMILITY, COMFORT, CONNECTION--these are the traits that make you "excellent".
When you analyze why you lost that order, you have to ask yourself if you communicated these traits to the buyer.  Ask honestly and brutally.