Have you ever wondered what sets the best salespeople apart whileothers struggle to make it?

It is just as important knowing the most important thingssalespeople should do to be successful as well as what theyshouldn't do. Sometimes salespeople develophabits that prevent them from being successful.

I'm going to share with you six things sales professionalsshould never do when trying to make a sale.

If you can avoid these sales mistakes, you will be on your wayto becoming a leader in your field and enjoying the wealth thatcomes with it.

1. Allow a prospect to lead the sales process

The best way to control a sales interaction and take the lead inthe sales process is to ask questions.

Asking quality questions can uncover specific issues and allowyou to evaluate whether or not your product can solve the specificproblem your prospect is facing. This is also the best way todiscover your prospect's needs and values and establishyourself as an expert.

2. Neglect pre-meeting research

If you are fortunate enough to get a meeting with an importantprospect that you are hoping to sell to, you better have done yourresearch.

I, unfortunately, learned this lesson the hard way. Iremember a specific situation in which I had finally connected witha prospect that I had been trying to get ahold of for quite sometime, and I set up a meeting. However, I didn't take the timeto research the company before I sat down with them, and spent thevast majority of the meeting learning fundamental basics about thecompany, instead of presenting a solution that my product wouldsolve.

Needless to say, I did not successfully close that sale and Ialso never neglected to do my research ahead of timeagain. Invest time in learning about your prospect before youcall them and set up a meeting, and you'll have much better chanceof getting to your objective.

3. Talk too much during the sales interaction

Too many salespeople will get into a conversation and talk waytoo much about their expertise, their product, its features, theirservice and so on. This dialogue does absolutely nothing toconvince a prospect that they should buy from you, and instead,makes them think that you don't care about their needs.

Engaging with a prospect by asking them about their experienceand needs allows you the time to determine the most effectivestrategy or solution for them.

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Sometimes salespeople develop habits that preventthem from being successful. (Photo: iStock)

4. Provide irrelevant information

When I was working in the corporate world, I was subjected tocountless presentations where the salesperson sharedinformation that was completely meaningless to anyone in theroom. A prospect cares very little about your financialbacking or who your other clients are, they only care about whetheror not your product or service is going to help them.

Make the most of your presentation by telling your prospect howthey will benefit from your product or service until they areconvinced that it will solve their problem or make their lifeeasier.

5. Not prepare for their pitch

I remember when I was first getting into sales, I made acold call expecting to get my prospect'svoicemail. When he unexpectedly answered the phone, insteadof asking qualified questions that would have allowed me to takecontrol of the interaction, I spent the entire conversationanswering his questions. This allowed him to take totalcontrol of the sale, or as I should say, the non-sale.

Whether you're making a cold call or giving a salespresentation, it is absolutely critical that you are prepared. Evenover prepared. This means having all relevant information at yourfingertips, including pricing, testimonials, samples and a list ofquestions you need to ask to direct the sales conversation. Isuggest creating a checklist of all of the information you willneed, and reviewing it before your call or presentation.

No matter how many times you've made a sales call or given thesame presentation, always review your material ahead of time. Youonly have one opportunity to make a great first impression, sodon't waste it.

6. Fail to ask for the sale

If you are selling a product or service, you have the obligationto ask the customer for a commitment, particularly if you've spenttime researching and discovering their needs and you know that yourproduct or service can help them. As long as you ask for thesale in a non-threatening, confident and cheerful manner, peoplewill usually respond favorably.

Even the most seasoned sales professionals make mistakes fromtime to time, but if you can avoid these six things salesprofessionals should never do, you'll decrease the likelihood ofmaking sales blunders, and increase your ability to make and closethe sale.

Related: 7 insurance sales habits that give you a badname