What scares off potential buyers? The mistakes of sales assistants, due to which your customers scatter. Why there are mistakes in the seller's work

All people, regardless of profession and occupation, tend to make mistakes. Only the one who does nothing is not mistaken. Sellers also make mistakes. Especially often sellers' inaccuracies appear when there are any innovations in the work that the employee is just beginning to master. As you study a new site and gain experience, the number of errors is significantly reduced, but they are unlikely to be completely avoided. This article will analyze the most common mistakes of sellers, as well as consider ways to minimize them.

Why there are mistakes in the seller's work

All seller mistakes are of two types:

professional (wrong algorithm of work, ignorance of the rules of communication with a client, wrong tactics of behavior, etc.);
psychophysiological (absent-mindedness, fatigue, forgetfulness, overwork, congestion with problems, etc.).

What are the reasons sellers make professional mistakes? This often happens because the seller is new to his professional activities and does not know how to do it right. This was not explained to him in time.

This may be due to the fact that the company does not have a clearly developed standard for the actions of a sales manager in the workplace, or the fact that this standard has not been properly communicated to the employee. If you want order in the actions of your employees and the absence of mistakes, it is necessary to develop internal regulations, which will spell out the rules for the employee's behavior in the workplace, and also indicate a list of responsibilities depending on the position, working hours and wages. This approach to the workflow will help you avoid salespeople mistakes.

Of course, it is not enough just to draw up a standard and wait for a decrease in the number of seller's mistakes; you need to explain it to all new employees, and also constantly monitor the quality of its implementation. A good contribution to this activity would be to train your employees and involve them in participating in various trainings.

But, even after following all these instructions, you may be faced with the fact that it was not possible to minimize the mistakes of sellers. The reason for this may be the saddest - the seller is not interested in development, he does not strive to become better, because everything suits him.

In this case, you need to think about the motivation system in your company and the work schedule of employees, because the mistakes of the sellers, even minor ones, negatively affect the work of the entire company, its image and reputation:

put the worst and the best employee to work in one shift. A salesperson who makes frequent mistakes is likely to gain experience from a colleague. A successful employee will show by his example how to work correctly, and will inspire his partner with his actions. A living example with real results can motivate much better than just a set of rules;
Think carefully about the remuneration system. Reduce the salary and increase the bonus, which is calculated as a percentage of the sales of each manager. This will motivate the employee to make sales, not just make time. Thanks to this approach, the seller will try to make fewer mistakes when communicating with visitors;
arrange competitions between employees, rewarding the winner with a bonus. You can come up with nominations, for example, "Best seller of the month" (sold the most), "Favorite customers" (got the maximum positive feedback) etc.

Practical application of these methods will reduce the mistakes of salespeople and make their work much more efficient.

Three ways sellers make mistakes

Errors in working with clients.

The mistakes of sellers when working with consumers directly affect the number of sales, because it depends on the correct work of the seller whether the client leaves with the purchase or not. The most common oversights - the visitor was not paid enough attention or the seller was, on the contrary, too intrusive, during the presentation of the product it was not possible to interest the purchaser, poor-quality consultation was provided, etc. It is necessary to analyze the work with each visitor in order to be able to find out exactly where mistakes were made and what influenced the client's decision to buy or leave with nothing.

Errors in working with the cash register.

Sellers' mistakes when working with cash and cash are very common, dangerous and sad. They arise mainly due to banal carelessness. An employee can perfectly know the rules of working with the cashier and have a lot of experience in this and still make a mistake - knock out a check incorrectly, give change incorrectly, etc. Unfortunately, no one is immune from such mistakes, the human factor has not been canceled. But you need to understand that each seller bears financial responsibility, and you need to be extremely careful when calculating with clients, because such mistakes can cost a salary.

Errors in working with contracts.

Sellers' mistakes when filling out contracts with customers can be no less dangerous. Sometimes, the manager pays so much attention to the buyer himself that he does not have the strength to fill out the contract correctly, or there may be cases of drawing up the contract in a hurry for some reason. Most often, mistakes are made in the full name or details - these are common misprints. The seriousness of such a blunder lies in the fact that a typo even in one letter of the client's name will make the contract invalid, and, in the event of a disputable situation, you will not be able to rely on this document... When concluding contracts, it is necessary to carefully study the customer's documents and carefully check the correctness of filling out the agreement. This will help you avoid possible problems in future.

The main mistakes of sellers

Misunderstanding of the tasks of the seller.

Everyone knows that a salesperson should sell - this is his main task, and his success depends on how well he possesses this skill. Both buyers and employers know that not all employees are professionals in their field. It depends not only on the lack or availability of knowledge in the field of sales, but also on human qualities and character traits. Sometimes, it is quite difficult to immediately determine why one salesman is doing better than another, why the mistakes of the sellers of one shift are not at all similar to the mistakes of the other. However, you should not give up on a sales assistant, whose affairs are not in the most successful way. You need to understand that if you want to see high competence and professionalism of your employees, they need to be taught this. The seller must be trained in the rules for communicating with customers, displaying goods, working with the checkout and other aspects trading activities... Knowledge in the field of sales and its application in practice will help to avoid many mistakes of sellers.

Do nothing to improve the situation.

A big omission for the company is the lack of knowledge and competence of its employees. You can spend a huge amount of money on advertising and business development, but all of this will be in vain if your employees do not know how to deal with customers and make sales mistakes. In such situations, the main thing is to react in time. Even if sellers' mistakes are not very common and their number is not critical, you need to actively look for ways to improve the performance of employees.

There are a number personal qualities people who help to be a successful sales manager. However, this does not mean that if these qualities are not inherent in you, you will not become a successful employee. You can learn everything if you want to and competently approach the matter. To become a good consultant, to learn how to work with clients, sell any product and not make the typical mistakes of sellers, it is enough to undergo appropriate training. Here we are talking not only about obtaining a trade education, but also about knowledge in the field of psychology, about the study of methods of communicating with people and ways of manipulating them. If you see that you are able to sell worse than someone else, and you make a lot of mistakes, you should not reproach yourself for your inability to trade and complain that you are not given it. Better to take the situation into your own hands and try to change it. Surely, after passing the appropriate trainings and training at seminars, you will be able to improve your professionalism and minimize the number of mistakes in your work.

Talk a lot, listen a little.

There is a misconception that a successful salesperson must be able to speak in the first place. Of course, he should be able to profitably tell everything about the products of his store, as well as maintain a conversation with the customer, but excessive talkativeness - main mistake sellers. If you talk a lot, the client will quickly get tired of listening to you, despite the fact that it will be quite difficult for him to grasp the essence and focus on something due to the constantly falling stream. new information... Therefore, the golden rule of the seller is to be able not only to speak, but also to listen. You need to ask the visitor questions, conduct a dialogue with him in order to be able to find out as much as possible about his needs and make an offer in time that your buyer cannot refuse. When communicating with a competent employee, the buyer will get the impression that they just told him about their products, and he has already made a choice and made a purchase. In fact, this will hide the skill of the seller to accurately understand the preferences of the client and lead him to the purchase.

Words that negate all your efforts.

The mistake of many salespeople is to think that being able to speak a lot and without hesitation is the most important rule in working with clients. In fact, this is far from the case. It is better to tell five times less, but competently and efficiently, paying attention to the very essence, than pouring water for a long time. When presenting a product, it will depend on your words how attractive the image is in the customer's head, especially if you are talking on the phone and the customer does not have the opportunity to look at the product. In such situations, you need to carefully prepare the description of the product, because one unfortunate phrase or mistake in the description can become fatal and spoil the impression of the product so much that all your previous speech will lose its meaning and will be in vain.

Not knowing when to end a sale.

Often, sellers quite calmly react to the fact that the client left the store without buying, referring to the fact that he initially did not intend to make a purchase, but just came in to look. Professionals, on the other hand, look at it from the other side - if the consumer has not bought anything, it means that they have not worked well with him.

The sellers' mistake here is that they do not lead the communication to a logical conclusion and do not lead the buyer to the purchase. During the conversation, it is necessary to monitor the behavior of the visitor, which will show whether he is ready to make a purchase. If he starts asking more and more questions about a certain product or discusses how this sofa, for example, will look in the interior of his house, this is a sign that the client intends to make a purchase. So it's time to act - talk about the price, possible discounts, installments and methods of payment and delivery. Only after passing this stage of the conversation, the work is considered completed in full.

Inability to complete the sale.

When talking with buyers, a common mistake sellers make is that they simply answer questions without leading the client to make a purchase. Even when the customer asks: "Do you have the same green table?" Then the buyer will probably thank you and leave. Or you can say: “Let me call the warehouse and find out. Will it be more convenient for you to pick it up here or do you want home delivery? " or "Will you pay by card or cash?" These questions are already calling for action.

Lack of sincerity.

People often see guile on the part of consultants and managers. This is one of the most failed salespeople mistakes and leads to a loss of customer confidence. The task of any seller is to provide a store with a large number of sales. The salary of most of them largely depends on how much money was in the box office thanks to them. Therefore, everyone understands that the seller will try to sell as much and as expensive as possible - this is in his interests. But you need to act in disguise. The consumer should have no doubt that you are acting in their best interests. He should not have the feeling that you are trying to sell him a stale product or offer something more expensive, but inferior in function and quality to a cheap analogue, etc. To do this, your offer must be clearly reasoned - the client must understand why buy exactly that.

Lack of attention to detail.

The mistake of many sellers is that in order to achieve the main goal - the maximum number of sales, they forget to pay enough attention to the little things that also affect the number sold goods... When presenting a product, many consultants do not pay enough attention to its description and do not go deep into important details and benefits. The customer may have the impression that the salesperson has insufficient product knowledge, and may also feel that the employee does not have the time or desire to communicate with him. Then he will simply find a more competent consultant. Also, your reputation will be seriously undermined if, for example, you forget about an appointment or come to it at the wrong time, or do not cope with timely delivery. It is important to fulfill all your duties in a timely manner, for this you need to be able to organize your work process, because even minor mistakes can undermine the seller's reputation.

Decline in activity.

Man is not a robot, and he cannot work equally well throughout the day, just as he cannot work without mistakes. Sooner or later, fatigue or a so-called decline in activity will occur. Everyone knows their individual characteristics in terms of working capacity: someone is full of energy in the morning, someone has a second wind in the evening, others need time to get into a rhythm after a lunch break. It is enough to study your performance during the whole working day, designate the time of peak activity and its decline, and after that distribute your responsibilities. This way, you can increase the workload during the hours of maximum working capacity, so that you can recuperate during inactive periods and avoid many of the mistakes salespeople make due to fatigue.

Loss of communication.

It happens that existing customers go to competitors. Often the reason for this is the loss of communication with them. You need to regularly contact the customer - SMS or e-mail messages indicating promotions, sales or special offers, as well as calls will allow you to constantly keep in touch with the buyer. This way you can keep him informed about your business and keep him interested in your company. In addition, the client will feel important.

Common mistakes sellers make in direct selling

Typical mistakes made by sales assistants can be divided into three groups:

1. Errors during the first contact with the client:

passivity- sellers do not pay attention to the visitor, they are engaged in other buyers, performing administrative tasks, or communicating with each other. No matter, a respectful reason or not, these sellers' mistakes are the first step to losing a customer. The buyer can simply leave your establishment if he is not given proper attention;
untimeliness- the seller behaves too assertively, begins to offer something to the client when he just came in and did not have time to get used to it, tries to draw the attention of the visitor to one product while he looks at another, etc. Such seemingly insignificant mistakes in sellers' behavior annoys buyers;
importunity- the seller imposes his services on the buyer, tries to immediately enter into a dialogue, using the phrases “Are you interested in something?”, “Are you looking for something specific?”, “Can I help you with something?”. It has long been known that such questions scare away visitors, and the main mistake sellers make when trying to establish contact with a customer is the use of such clichés when the customer has just crossed the threshold of the store. When you meet a buyer, you just need to say hello to him and give him time to look around. And if you see that the client cannot make a choice or simply walks around the sales area for too long, then you need to offer him your help.

2. Errors when consulting a client:

haphazard actions- it is best to develop a template for the correct sequence of work for employees. Salesperson mistakes will be greatly reduced if they follow this pattern rather than performing a series of chaotic actions;
reactive behavior- the behavior of the employee is too dependent on how the client behaves. The employee answers the buyer's questions, follows him around the sales area, but does not show any initiative at all. The salesperson will achieve much better results if he keeps the communication under his control. Then there will be an opportunity to show and tell the buyer much more;
reliance on assumptions- the seller draws up a portrait of the visitor based on his observations and, in accordance with this, offers a specific product. Thus, the seller makes a decision instead of the buyer, independently determining what exactly the client needs (drawing conclusions about the financial situation, relying on appearance, age, etc.). The seller's mistake is often that his opinion about the buyer may be wrong, as a result of which the offer will be made incorrectly;
suppression of company advantages:
- any seller, when communicating with a buyer, will try to tell all the characteristics and advantages of the product, its distinctive features and advantages. This is the correct behavior of the consultant, but at the same time, it is a significant mistake - it is not enough to tell only about the product, because it is not a fact that the client will buy it from you. Perhaps he will find out all the advantages of the product thanks to you and will go looking for it, but only in another place - where it is cheaper. It is important to focus on the company itself and why the purchase should be made here;
- you also need to be able to convey to the client what exactly will be beneficial for him given purchase what he will get in the end. The mistake many salespeople make is that they go into details or specifications goods that may not be at all informative for the customer. He will not be interested in the purchase, because he simply will not understand what it is about and why he needs this product.

3. Errors at the final stage of communication with the client:

no fixation of totals- the seller does not complete the meeting, ending with the banal "Come again", "We will be glad to see you again." Every conversation with a visitor should be summarized. It is necessary to tell the client the whole essence of the dialogue and draw conclusions together with him at the end of the conversation;
there is no confirmation of understanding and interest- the mistake of many sellers is that they pay so much attention to the presentation of the product and the description of its merits that they do not pay attention at all to how the client reacts to this product. As a result, time is wasted, but the result is not achieved. In order not to get into such situations, it is important to monitor the reaction of the purchaser, ask his opinion and involve him in the conversation;
no desire to "raise the bar"- many customers need to be encouraged to buy, because they hesitate to the last. Sellers' mistakes when working with such buyers are that they cannot lead the client to make this particular purchase, seeing their hesitations and doubts, but begin to offer to consider cheaper options or take advantage of discounts. Although in most cases this is not necessary, because with correct work the visitor will buy this particular product and for this price. You will always have time to drop the cost or offer a cheap analogue, and this should be an extreme measure;
no clear proposal for action- the seller's mistake is that he cannot induce the buyer to take specific actions, but expects that he himself will offer to go through to pay for the purchase;
no willingness to take responsibility- the seller cannot push the client to make a decision, because he is afraid that the responsibility for the choice will ultimately fall on his shoulders. The employee does not want to receive a complaint from the consumer in the future if the consumer turns out to be dissatisfied with his purchase as a result. Therefore, he mistakenly suggests that the buyer take a break and think about the choice on his own. And the client, in turn, can go to another consultant with a request for help and already make a purchase from him;
no cross and additional sales- the mistake of the majority of sellers in an effort to satisfy the needs of the client exactly to the extent that he himself asks for it. It seems that there is nothing wrong with this, because it is important that a satisfied visitor leaves the store with his purchase. But you can do more - to offer the client not only exactly what he wants, but also more, for example, some related product.

Psychological mistakes of sales consultants that scare customers away

A significant mistake of sellers is their excessive, sometimes even aggressive, activity. If the visitor was frightened by the assertiveness of the consultant, he will not return to the store, even if the institution itself makes him sympathetic. So, due to the miss of one employee, the whole company loses a client.

Special techniques have been developed successful sales, but often sales consultants cannot correctly apply them in practice and make the most obvious mistakes when working with a potential buyer. Here are some of them:

"Hello, can I help you?" or "Can you suggest anything?"- a common mistake of salespeople is excessive attention to the client, turning into importunity. The seller pounces on the visitor with his questions, begins to follow him around the trading floor and stand above his soul. Even if, in accordance with the store's regulations, you are obliged to ask these questions to the buyer, you should not do this right off the bat. Perhaps the person has not yet understood where he has entered - you need to give the buyer time to get used to it. If you want to draw his attention to yourself, you just need to greet him;
"So you get this model out of the window or not?" Such presentation of their services is highly questionable. It seems that these are not your duties and that you are doing a favor. This behavior is a big seller's mistake and will scare the customer away. He will think that he is not welcome here and will hasten to leave the store. Even if a lot of time and effort has been spent on the consumer, in no case should you show him your irritation and fatigue. He should see only calmness, friendliness and helpfulness addressed to him by the consultant;
"No, you still have a look at this laptop."- importunity is another common mistake sellers make. Many people try to sell the product no matter what. This approach to sales is not the most correct one. Customers do not like to be pressured, and in response to such behavior, you can easily get aggression and irritation from the side of the buyer, who will rush to get rid of you;
“Huh! Such cool little winter boots, but you don't like it! And these sandals? Why not?". Unprofessional speech, fussiness, uncertainty and haste are a very clear example of unacceptable mistakes of salespeople. Still worth sticking to business style communication, and not talk with the buyer too affectionately and sucking, as if he is a small child.

Another gross mistake in the actions of sales consultants is a showdown or a dispute with buyers. Any claims should be expressed to each other in private, so that visitors do not see or hear. In no case should you reprimand a colleague for doing something wrong or scold a subordinate for being late. trading floor in the presence of visitors.

Sellers' mistakes when communicating with a client on the phone

Today, there are many trading companies that actively use telemarketing as a way to reach potential customers. The ability to talk with a client is perhaps the main skill that an employee of such a company should have, because the mistakes of sellers made when communicating with a consumer on the phone will not have the best effect on sales.

Typical mistakes sales agents make when talking to a client:

Don't get the right person to talk. If you need to talk with a representative of another organization, it is better to do it without intermediaries (secretary, deputy, etc.). It is important to talk directly with the person who is authorized to resolve issues of interest to you. Because when transferring information through third parties, there is a possibility that something important will be missed or the essence of your conversation will be distorted;
Emphasize the characteristics, but not the benefits of the product. The mistake of many sellers in listing the characteristics of the product during its presentation. It is necessary not only to tell about the product, but to explain to the client the benefits of its purchase and the main emphasis should be placed not on the characteristics of the product, but on the result that the buyer will receive in the end;
Achieve victory in an argument. You should always try to avoid disputes with the customer and control your emotions. After all, it doesn't matter who will be the winner of the dispute - such a mistake in the seller's behavior will leave an unpleasant aftertaste from the conversation, which will spoil the client's opinion of you and your company;
Do not summarize the conversation. At the end of the telephone conversation, it is imperative to find out the opinion of the interlocutor about the product presented to him and to clarify whether he is ready to make a purchase. Probably, the buyer will be interested in purchasing the product, but will not say about it himself. If you don't ask him directly about it, the conversation will not end with a purchase;
They talk too much. It is a mistake for sellers to believe that if the client is silent, then he is listening to you attentively. This is not at all the case. Perhaps he is not at all interested in what you say to him, and is just tactfully waiting for you to finish. It is necessary to check the reaction of the interlocutor and conduct a dialogue with him.

In most cases, such mistakes by sellers can lead to the client's refusal to complete the transaction. But these are far from the only mistakes a manager can make.

The most common mistakes sellers make when selling a product:

Price drop

A price that is too low can scare off a customer as well as a high one. Many consultants make the mistake of cutting prices unnecessarily. The fact is that, seeing a low price, the buyer may begin to doubt the quality of the product - since the price is low, then something is wrong with it. He will also reason if the seller immediately offers a discount as soon as he sees the visitor's doubts about the purchase. He may think that the seller is trying to get rid of a substandard product;

Announcement instead of sale

The mistake of sellers is that many of them think that in order to sell, you just need to tell in detail about the product, then he will be interested and buy it. In fact, it is not enough just to describe the product and list its merits. Your task is to sell the product, which means you need to explain to the client why he should buy it, what benefit he will receive;

Product imposition

If earlier it was easy enough to impose some kind of product, now buyers have developed immunity to advertising and active promotion goods to which they simply do not respond. The modern client expects an individual approach to himself and the impeccable fulfillment of precisely his wishes. Therefore, the priority will be stores, the sellers of which are ready to listen to the buyer, understand his needs and help to buy a truly necessary and high-quality item. Therefore, you should not make mistakes and try to impose a product, instead, it is better to find out its true needs;

Salespeople don't follow through

If we are talking about a large purchase, you need to approach all stages of the transaction as carefully as possible. The mistake of many sellers is that they believe that if they brought the client to the checkout, took money from him and issued the goods, then their mission was successfully completed. This does not suck the right approach to business. It is important not only to sell the product, but to make sure that the buyer is satisfied. It will be correct to help with delivery and connection or assembly. If the buyer decides to go through these stages on his own, you can call him after a while and ask him how things are, if everything is fine, if you need help with something and if he is satisfied with the purchase. Thanks to just a phone call or conversation in the sales area, which will take no more than 5 minutes, the seller will show:

your professionalism and responsibility for each transaction;
taking care of the client's well-being.

Errors in dealing with non-paying clients

Telemarketing is not only communicating with potential customers and finding new ones, but also working with those who have difficulties with payment. It's the same important stage communication with the customer, in which mistakes should be avoided. Here are some guidelines for how a salesperson should behave when talking to a problematic customer.

Errors to avoid:

speak in a dismissive or rude tone, express aggression. This can make the situation worse;
evaluate the client's actions, condemning them;
demand compliance exclusively with your terms and do not compromise;
show emotions, scream and freak out. One must always remain calm;
threaten the interlocutor. This can lead not only to the loss of the customer, but also to problems with the law.

Necessary:

The main mistakes of salespeople who are just starting to work in sales

Many aspiring employees are terrified of making a mistake. While most of the seller's mistakes happen on initial stage their work. This is affected by self-doubt, lack of experience, gaps in knowledge, excitement, etc. It is important to understand that it is impossible to completely avoid mistakes, especially if you are working with something new. There is no need to be afraid of mistakes, it is better to focus on correcting and analyzing them than to be upset about making them.

Mistake number 1. This is the very fact of working as a seller in the absence of a desire to sell working with clients. Unwillingness to communicate with people and help them. People around you quickly notice insincerity, react to indifference or negative attitudes towards themselves, and tend to avoid such communication. If you are not ready to be always polite and friendly, remain calm in any situations, explain the same thing several times, adjust to the client and be helpful, putting his interests above your own, then this position is not for you. Your dislike of trading will not bring you success in this field of activity, you will commit big mistake unless you try to find another job.

Mistake number 2. Lack of faith in the product, in its usefulness for the client... You need to love what you sell. It's hard to convince a consumer that you don't believe in yourself. If you talk about the advantages of a product that you yourself doubt, he will surely notice your cunning and you will not be able to convince him that you are offering him a quality product, and not trying to cram something. It is important to remember that your negative attitude towards the product will easily pass on to the customer, even if you do not say anything bad about it.

Mistake # 3. Ignorance of the product, its properties, qualities, distinctive features. The saddest mistake of a seller is not knowing their product. You can be shy, indecisive, inexperienced, but not being able to describe the product is an unacceptable and egregious mistake of the seller, which in no case should be allowed! Learning the characteristics of a product is the first responsibility of any consultant.

Mistake # 4.Passion for your own monologue... Always engage customers in dialogue to keep the communication lively and easy. Do not use lengthy monologues that might bore the client. Always watch his reaction, see if he is interested in listening to you or not.

Mistake # 5. Dispute with the buyer... Sellers' mistake often lies in trying to impose their opinion on the buyer. You should not compete with a potential buyer in knowledge in some area and start an argument with him. Even if you win this dispute, you will probably indulge your self-esteem, but as a seller you will not achieve anything, because you will lose a client. When talking to a buyer, the seller should be as loyal as possible.

Mistake # 6. Misuse of professional terms... If you are involved in the trade of some product, the technical characteristics of which are very specific, require knowledge in a certain area and may be incomprehensible to the client, do not show your awareness and do not waste time on listing the advantages that he will not appreciate. Do not make mistakes that will lead to misunderstandings, try to speak in a language that is understandable for the buyer. Tell us what result the client will get, not how it will be achieved.

Mistake number 7. Failure to comply with corporate customer service rules. Each company develops its own standard of communication with customers, and each seller is obliged to follow it. Such regulations may differ in some way, but they all boil down to simple rules communication: the seller must greet the visitor and say goodbye to him, be friendly and polite in any situation, always be ready to communicate with the buyer. It is important to monitor compliance with these rules and not make mistakes by sellers in the implementation of the charter.

Mistake number 8. Passion for the sales process and relegation to the background of the needs and requirements of the buyer. Any seller wants to sell as much as possible - this is his completely natural desire. But it is important to know when to stop. After all, this will not always bring you success in the end. A situation may arise where you manage to sell more to a customer than he originally planned to buy. But later he will be disappointed in the purchase, realizing that he did not need it at all, and he succumbed to your influence. Thus, you need to offer the buyer exactly what he will be satisfied with.

Mistake number 9... And the most dangerous one. Ignoring your own mistakes. A salesperson who wants to become a real professional differs from a lousy employee in that he works on mistakes. It is common for everyone to make mistakes, it is important to be able to analyze these mistakes and find ways to avoid them in the future.

The Internet is a controversial place. For every good, interesting and useful site, there is one, if not several, fraudulent resources created in order to deceive unsuspecting users. Due to their growing number, people are forced to learn to recognize brake lights and bypass all suspicious sites. Unfortunately, it also happens that even an honest site falls into the category of "dubious", especially if an overly cautious visitor comes to it.

However, what has been said does not mean that nothing can be done about it. Read our article on the common signs of a fraudulent resource, and then check your site - is there anything on it that could scare off potential customers?

1. Strange domain name

The domain name plays about the same role as your own name. It affects the first impression of site visitors, remains in memory and evokes certain associations. , keep in mind that it won't be easy to change, so take it seriously.

Stop signal: Internet scammers often use domain names that look like names famous brands- specifically to confuse the buyer. Don't do that. You can be madly in love, for example, Beyonce, but do not register the address beyoncediscounts.com (unless you are going to legally sell products released under her name). The name that best captures the essence of your business will help you win the trust of your customers.

2. Pop-ups

With the help of these windows, it is convenient to conduct surveys and find out your target audience, report sales, or ask for - you'll need it when you launch your Wix ShoutOut mailing list. The main thing is not to be annoying and not to use them too often.

Stop signal: text written in the window should not look ambiguous. Never ask buyers for financial information, and of course, do not give it to anyone yourself.

3. Lack of contact details

If you are doing honest business, then you have no objective reason to hide contact information and avoid communicating with clients.

Stop signal: lack of contacts is a characteristic sign of a "suspicious office". We advise you not to contact companies without a phone or email and make sure that your own website has a section with the most relevant ones.

4. Errors and misprints

Would you like to buy something on a misspelled site? Please note that companies wishing to produce good impression are trying to look and sound professional. Even if you are not a master of polished formulations, nothing prevents you from properly proofreading texts and refraining from lexical experiments.

Stop signal: if the owners of the site did not bother to check the text for errors, then they can take the rest just as lightly.

5. Poor quality photos

After checking your spelling and punctuation, pay attention to how the products are presented on your site. High-quality images are very important, especially if you have a store - they grab attention and drive sales.

Stop signal: if you are going to buy something on the Internet, take a close look at the product photo. If it seems fake to you, then you better do not risk it. And so that your own goods do not look fake, read the helpful guide on how to properly photograph them for sale.

6. Outdated design

Nice photos is not the only thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to making the right visual decisions. You may sincerely love inscriptions on fire, but the problem is that people are not ready to take seriously sites designed in the style of the 90s.

Stop signal: sloppy typography, lots of animation and “cool icons” are a sure sign that the guys who did all this are hardly professionals. Read our article on common

> How not to scare away the buyer? 5 tips for the sales department

Smart Selling Tools President and Sales Expert Nancy Nardin gives a five practical recommendations how not to scare customers.

1. Hear and hear

Often in a conversation, sellers simply wait for the right moment to "come up" with their advertising proposal. Meanwhile, the value of a conversation is to hear not with your head, but with your heart. If you really hear what your prospects are saying, you will respond with genuine interest, ask honest questions, and express a willingness to help. And this is what will differentiate you from your competitors.

2. Stay tuned

Conducting a "quality" conversation with a client is very difficult. Every conversation should be relevant and thoughtful to the smallest detail. If you approach a client without understanding the subject of the conversation, there will be no success. Therefore, it is important to know the subject of the conversation well, which will allow you to competently and confidently answer the questions that the client will surely ask. Such a conversation is promising, the client will definitely remember it and make a good impression of you.

3. Ask important questions

If the meeting has already been made, then the selection of questions directly depends on who exactly you are talking to. Nancy Blick's book, Conversations That Sells, offers examples of conversations typical of different types personality. But the bottom line is this: you should ask questions that worry your customers. “Can you talk about your current project?”, “What allowed you to achieve the desired results?”, “How do you assess the results from the point of view of today? In fact, clients don't have much time to reflect on their current situation. And it is very valuable that you will push them to this idea, and at the same time take part with your suggestions in improving or developing the situation. And by helping them do that, you will set yourself apart from many other salespeople.

4. Be specific

Telling a client that you will help his business or project is not saying anything. So he will not be interested in you. He had heard it all before from everyone else. Gradually these words became meaningless. Be specific. Share how your proposal has helped specific companies and business owners. Tell them that your product has helped increase sales (give specific percentages and timeframes for improvements). The client's attention is sharpened when he hears examples of a specific situation in which he himself is now. This way he really hears how your solution will help him.

4. Don't fade into the background

It is not uncommon for lazy salespeople to call a client to ask, "Have you already talked to the director about our offer?" But salespeople’s true purpose is to lead the sales process, not adjust to it. They understand that if they did not get a call back, then the client, obviously, did not even think about talking to the authorities. To find out for sure, professional seller will not just call and ask about it directly. Instead, you might want to do something like a reconnaissance call: “We've just completed case studies that could strengthen your position with the CEO and help you present suggestions to superiors. It would be helpful to get this information before meeting with the director. When would you be more comfortable? " Help him prepare answers to possible questions its director.

5. Inspire the Buyer

The best way to inspire a customer is to provide an incentive to change their mindset. There are moments when something switches in the head, which leads to a change in the usual way of thinking. This motivates buyers to do something, to take some action. After moments like this, it's hard to keep doing things the way they used to. Be the one who inspires the buyer to make these changes and motivate them to take action.

For convenience and efficiency, special CRM systems are designed, for example, many sales departments use solutions offered by the Simple Business cloud service for these purposes.

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Very often, when working with commercial sites, users encounter difficulties in placing and paying for an order. Most of them do not try to figure out the essence of the problem and the tricks that the site creator has hidden for them, but simply go to competitors, where the process of buying a product is easier.

In recent e-commerce research, it was found that at least 59.8% of potential buyers refuse to purchase the products they were about to buy.

In 2010, a usability study was conducted, the main goal of which was to analyze the actions of users when placing an order on different sites. After conducting research and analyzing the results, rules were put forward that will help the website creator to increase sales, and the user to facilitate the purchase process.

The main question is why clients leave the site so often? What are the main mistakes that lead to this? What complicates the process of buying a product you like? And is there a way to simplify and improve this process?

A group of users was assembled and an analysis of the usability of online stores was carried out, based only on the subjective opinion of users who went from "shopping cart" to "order payment". The study used the so-called “thinking out loud” approach - everything that happened on the computer screen and the reactions of users were recorded. The behavior of the test group was then carefully analyzed.

The study found that it was difficult for users to get to the final stage of the payment process when they went to enter their credit card details.

In total, the control group was presented with over 500 possible scenarios, from distracting animations on the site to errors in the data entry form. All scenarios were then analyzed and compiled into 63 manuals. This article presents 10 main issues that will help you improve your site's usability.

1. The checkout process should be straightforward.
Problem: Some users get confused and intimidated to checkout because they cannot understand the data entry process that goes against their concept of a linear checkout model.

One of the biggest mistakes we found during our research is the non-linear checkout process. Some users in the control group got confused while filling out forms on sites with nonlinear models.

In order for the client not to get confused, but clearly and confidently move towards your cherished goal, he must do everything according to the steps that you kindly provided for him. There is no need to return the user to another section, ask him to do one and two actions again, and then five and six, after such tricky messages, the user will have headache and he will happily run away from your site, leaving the money with him. And you do not need this, so we lead the user clearly from point A to point B and so on, we do not force the user to do something twice.

A typical way to "accidentally" scare a user is to use subsections. For example, during account creation, when the user is prompted to enter the desired delivery address, the registration form for which is on a separate page.

Fortunately, making the process linear is easy enough. In the case of creating an account, you should never redirect the user to the previous step or subsection of the personal data entry process.

Most users think linearly, so the registration process should be linear. If a customer sees the same page twice, they will most likely think there was an error and leave the site.

As one of the users of the tested group said: “I've already been on this page. Maybe I did something wrong? "

2. Adding descriptions near the input fields
Problem: Without descriptions, users can get confused and not understand what is required of them.

"What does the Address 2 field mean?" - asked one of the users of the tested group. Another was frightened by the Billing Address field.

Most of the users doubted or did not understand what exactly needs to be entered in this or that field. Moreover, problems arose with different fields. And, despite the fact that most of the users coped with the registration, one of the testers refused to buy because he did not understand what they wanted from him and, as a result, could not complete the checkout process.

Each field for filling must be commented, and it is better to depict with an example. Users can read, but they are poor at thinking out what you want from them. Therefore, so that there are no unnecessary questions, deign to give two or three words that clarify what information you want to receive, and the user will be happy to provide it to you.

If you have input fields without a description, some users are likely to get confused and not understand what you want from them. To fix this is quite simple - add descriptions and examples of filling next to the corresponding fields.

Some users may not need such hints, so they can be hidden behind a hidden description "What is this?" or just slightly shade or reduce the font color.

Even such obvious fields as "Email address" can raise questions from users. The description is a good opportunity to explain why you are asking for this information. The description may be enough to explain what is required of the user, but many of them will want to know why and how you will use it.

You can also simplify the registration process by adding illustrations to the fields.

3. Contextual words such as "Continue" should be avoided.
Problem: Contextual words like "Continue" can be ambiguous and users can get confused.

Most of the users do not always understand what exactly you want to continue, so they leave the path you have perfectly built to purchase goods. And if the user does not go where he wanted, then he may simply get confused and not return, and we do not want that.

Depending on the client's perception, the button labeled "Continue" can have two meanings:

Continue browsing products
If, for example, a client is looking for a T-shirt for jeans already selected and put in the basket
Continue checkout
If the buyer has finished choosing and wants to pay for the goods

Back is another contextual word. Back to the last page? Back to the last results found? Where to? All these are contextual words that can change their meaning depending on the context, i.e. page, or the perception of a particular buyer.

After clicking on the key, one of the test takers said:
"I thought 'Continue' meant to go to the checkout process, even though I was redirected to the product view page."

This is a typical example of contextual ambiguity that can confuse users. More than half of the tested at least once pressed the wrong buttons due to contextual words.

Use the open phrases "Order now" or "View products" instead.

4. Do not use the "Apply" button in forms
Problem: Users do not always understand how to use the Apply button for individual input fields.

More than half of the tested users were confused or did not understand what the "Apply" button was intended for in any place of the form, for example, for the form of the delivery method. In almost every case, these buttons:

Not clicked even if all fields were filled
Confused with the end of data entry button on a form

Users simply did not understand the purpose of the "Apply" button on the form.

Of course, an advanced user will always understand what's what, but not everyone is so smart. Most often, users were confused by the "Apply" button, they did not really understand what and what they were applying to. Therefore, if this is not absolutely necessary, try to omit all unnecessary things that can frighten and alert the buyer.

The consequence of an incorrect click on the "Apply" button to confirm the entered data on the form will be the user's redirection to the same page with the same form with a request to re-enter the data, or to correct the incorrectly entered information. Most likely, this will confuse potential customers, which will eventually scare them away from the site.

Two of the tested users received an error message and decided that the page was not working, although in fact there were no technical errors in the site.

If you need to update the value in the input field to proceed to the next step, use the automatic update scripts without using the "Apply" button.

5. Using a single column for fields
Problem: Users spent too long to understand the relationship between fields in two columns.

Half of the test takers experienced problems with forms that used two-column fields.

The study revealed two typical scenarios:

One of the columns of the form was not completed. The test takers simply ignored, missed, or did not understand what was required of them.
The fields in the form were filled in incorrectly, users confused the columns in places, which led to an error checking the correctness of the entered information.

In both cases, users usually refuse to buy because they constantly confuse fields in columns and receive an error message. To avoid this, it is better to use one column. None of the tested users made a mistake when registering on a form that used a single column.

For the visual perception of information, it is easier when it goes sequentially, in one column, the use of several columns, disorients the user, he gets lost and the likelihood increases that he will skip filling in important fields and everything will have to be repeated again.

6. Using clear error messages
Problem: Users do not notice or understand the error message, which makes it impossible to fix the error.

For more than half of the tested clients, bug reports caused problems or misunderstandings. In messages, the user should receive specific guidelines for action that will help him quickly fix everything and move on.

When the user had difficulty filling out the form, the likelihood of a purchase was significantly reduced. If a user failed registration several times, he tended to simply leave the site, because he believed that the site was technically faulty or blocked.

If an error message appears too far from a field in which data was entered incorrectly, users simply did not see it. Many sites display error messages at the top of the page, rather than next to the field where the data was entered incorrectly.

If the message was too far from the field, it will also be difficult to understand. Some of the tested users did not notice anything other than the input fields, trying to confirm the data entered into the form again, believing that the page did not load correctly the first time. Naturally, this caused the same page to appear over and over again with the same error message.

If the user did not notice or did not understand exactly where the error occurred, he will not be able to fix it and, as a result, proceed to the next stage of the checkout process. In such cases, the loss of a client is not preventable. Therefore, it is better to spend more time and effort to intuitively and vividly think over the design of error messages.
Remember to keep track of the message:

Contextualized - i.e. to appear next to the field where the error was made.
Intuitive, accessible and expressive.
Stand out so people can see the message - you can add contrast, use arrows or other visual indicators.

7. Registration must be optional

Problem: Users are radically opposed to registering a new account.

Registration, which takes a lot of time, will make the buyer think about how much he needs this product, therefore, it is better to facilitate and simplify this process in order to potential client he simply did not notice. Users don't like to register. This quickly became apparent after each of the test customers sighed indignantly when asked to register. 30% of users simply left the site and abandoned the selected purchases.

There are several reasons for this.
Firstly, the user has probably already acquired a myriad of logins and passwords that need to be remembered, so he does not want to create a new account once again in order to buy a product in an online store once.

Second, 40% of the test takers decided they would be spammed with various marketing materials or newsletters. These users have already concluded - new account = SPAM. As one of the testers explained: "If you create an account, they will always spam me." Sites that send out their news by default have led people to this conclusion.

Also, users, most likely, understand that the site will store the requested information indefinitely. If a company stores information about its customers, regardless of whether the user is registered or not, most buyers will not even think about it. It's all about perception - some users just don't like to think that the site will store their personal information.

In addition, it takes some time to register an account. These are a few extra steps and fields that need to be filled in. The complication of the purchase process and one more reason to dislike registration.

Finally, many buyers do not understand why they need an account if they are going to buy a product once. As one of the test takers said: "I don't have to register to buy perfume in a regular store."

Most of the test takers were not against the optional registration, but agreed that it was illogical to require to create an account. Some said they would register voluntarily if they were going to shop regularly on the site.

If you are looking for an unobtrusive way to register, ask the buyer to register after making a purchase. “Would you like to register? Just enter your password in the field below. " You can use your email address as a login and fill in your account information based on the data provided by the user when paying. Thus, the user is not forced to register, but he has the opportunity to easily and quickly create an account after purchase. Good way to persuade the client to create an account - to talk about the benefits of registration.

8. Create protection or visibility of protecting the client's money
Most people do not want to lose their honestly earned money, it is offensive and uninteresting, so they strive to protect themselves as much as possible. To do this, you can use the corresponding icons next to the poem, where you enter the credit card number. The client does not care how you actually protect his money, he wants to see that it is safe.

9. The data that the user enters must match the data that he sees
Usually this concerns the expiration date of plastic cards, it is better that the numbers that are required on the site completely coincide with those written on the card. If it says 7/14, then he must enter 7/14 on the site.

10. It is not necessary to demand unnecessary, in the opinion of the client, information
Problem: Users feel threatened own safety if they are required to enter information that is unnecessary in their opinion.

The user does not like to answer questions that do not relate to their order. First, it's tedious. Secondly, it prompts unnecessary questions and slows down the buying process. Refusing to indicate his phone number during the registration process, one of the test takers raised a noise: “Just look, why do they need my phone number? They don't need him! " Each user from the control group, one way or another, complained about the site, where he was asked to provide additional information during registration.

The shipping address and billing address are usually the same, so you shouldn't force the user to do the same thing twice. The billing address is not of any fundamental importance for ordering.

Customers were especially annoyed when asked for a phone number, even though they had already entered an email address before paying. And they are absolutely right, why does a company need a phone number if it already has the opportunity to contact a client by e-mail?

If Additional Information really necessary, it is better to take the trouble to explain to the user why. What may be obvious to the site owner may be fundamentally incomprehensible to customers. They are willing to expect the worst when shopping online, including spam and annoying phone calls.

Surprisingly, the tested group was very loyal to the sites where it was described why this or that information is needed. A little advice: do not hide the explanation behind the link - it is better to write the explanation directly next to the input field. In fact, the testers provided the phone number to such sites without any questions, because the online resource clearly explained that the support team can quickly contact the user in case of problems.

The more expensive the order, the more accommodating the client. When people buy laptops, they want the seller to be able to contact them. But this is only true if additional information is requested when making a purchase. On sites where the field with the phone number could be filled in optionally, the test takers felt comfortable because they could leave the field blank. Do not forget to highlight the optional fields from those that must be filled in.

Streamline the checkout process
While there are still many challenges that a site visitor may face, these 10 essential guides will help make your customers' lives much easier and increase sales.

In a study 10 years ago, usability guru Jakob Nielsen concluded that most of the resources related to e-commerce violated most of the basic rules of usability. Looking at modern online shops little seems to have changed since then.

While big sites boast of impressive geo-targeting capabilities, address validation, and view states, they forget the basic principles of usability and pay for it later.

With the latest advances in web technology and browsers, the potential for creating engaging interactive sites has grown dramatically. However, until all the basics of usability are brought out to required level, these innovations are not worth even thinking about. If you add new features just to attract customers, the 59.8% lost customer value is unlikely to decrease.

Make life easier for your customers, spend it and they will repay you with regular purchases. Of course, the choice is yours, but the numbers don't lie. Learn from other people's mistakes and failures.

According to experts, most buyers make a decision to refuse based on the first impression. And the first impression they make from the sensations that arise during the viewing, often unconscious. So, the brightest repulsive moments:

Smell... The smell is significant, and starting from the approach to the entrance, if there is an uncleaned trash can nearby, if the stairs smell like a basement, or a garbage chute, etc., this is immediately minus 20% of buyers. The smell of cigarette smoke is very strongly influenced, especially the old one, both on the stairs and, even more so, in the apartment itself. Even smokers react negatively to it. “You shouldn't aromatize an apartment with perfumes, spices and incense sticks - people react to strongly pronounced smells in very different ways, you can only ruin everything. The most pleasant smell for everyone is coffee, so you can use it, ”advises Nikolai Lavrov, head of the interregional housing program“ Moving to St. Petersburg ”.

Darkness and dusk... Any dark room looks small, and people want to buy a large apartment, no matter what is written in the documents. In order not to frighten off buyers, it is advisable to provide maximum illumination of the apartment. For example, in the daytime, no curtains are needed, only a thin transparent tulle on clean windows, and in the dark - maximum illumination. So it is better not to save on modern LED lamps. By the way, the yellow range is always more pleasing to the eye than the cold bluish one. The color of the walls is also important, dark or very bright colors also scare away potential buyers.

"Killed apartments". Very few people are able to see their happy future among the holes in the plaster and peeled wallpaper, and if it is dirty, it will scare off 90% of buyers.

In fact, a bucket of water-based paint is enough: this will "roll up" all surfaces, except for the floor, in white. Freshly painted white surfaces, even embossed ones, will create a place for a flight of happy fantasies of buyers.

Hosts and tenants... Oddly enough, the presence of people living in this apartment at the time of viewing can easily scare away buyers, since in their dreams they want to live there themselves. And if the owner accidentally, or the tenant specifically starts to complain about the pipes, neighbors, life - then as a result the owner will be almost 100% rejected.

Important little things. Disorder and scattered things, flaws in the repair - these are the little things that the owners no longer pay attention to, but they catch the eye of a new person. It turns out that we have a lot of perfectionist buyers who cannot tolerate the slightest disorder in the objects of viewing, although this cannot be said either by their appearance or by the order in their apartments.

Unlawful redevelopment... A studio or a two-room apartment instead of a "one-room apartment", a large kitchen at the expense of an air duct - all this, of course, is wonderful. However, according to Natalia Kruglova, general director Metrium Group, if such changes are not legalized, it will also scare off potential buyers. Therefore, apartments with illegal redevelopment are usually put up for sale at a discount, at least for the amount that will be required to bring the property back to its original condition. Many banks, including Sberbank and lending institutions working with AHML, refuse to take housing with illegal redevelopment as collateral. Accordingly, minus mortgage buyers, which, especially in the capital, where most transactions are carried out with the involvement of borrowed money, will significantly reduce the number of views.

Unwanted neighborhood... The specialists of the NDV-Real Estate company note that “bad neighbors” can become a serious “disadvantage” for potential buyers - both literally and figuratively. For example, an industrial zone, a landfill or a pre-trial detention center next to a house is a big problem that can reduce the number of clients. It will be possible to solve it only with the help of a discount, however, its size depends on the situation and the individual characteristics of the object, and if all the other parameters of the apartment are at their best, then there will certainly be a “own” buyer. This category also includes noisy or sloppy neighbors. However, in this case, you will have to resort to discounts only as a last resort, there is still a chance to negotiate with neighbors. Otherwise, of course, the period of exposure of the apartment can greatly increase.

Conflicting owners... One of the important factors that can reduce the attractiveness of an apartment for buyers is conflicts between owners. If more than one person owns a home, it is important to act in a coordinated manner. Any conflicting information that potential buyers receive, inconsistency of actions between sellers, can upset the deal, and delay the solution of the housing issue for an indefinite period.

Thus, a bonus in the sale of an apartment will be mandatory pre-sale preparation, fresh cheap cosmetic repairs (in this case, expensive repairs will not pay off, but even newly painted walls give the impression of a new apartment). “Thorough cleaning in the apartment, better by the cleaning company, including washing windows and preferably all surfaces in general. Complete order in things at the time of viewing, and a slight smell of coffee - these measures will return you up to 90% of customer friendliness, "sums up Nikolay Lavrov. Well, in order to quickly sell an apartment with “features” that cannot be changed “with a slight movement of the hand”, it makes sense to initially think about a reasonable discount.