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80 Percent Syndrome: The Harmful Habit That's Hindering Your Sales

Working in a complex selling environment means that competition is high and your sale relies on the approval of multiple decision makers. In this environment, it is likely that customers already have a description of your product from your website or your competitors and may even have people on their team rooting for the other side.

This situation presents a perfect opportunity to benefit from a well-built relationship. Customers need assurance that you understand their needs and that you are more interested in helping them find a solution than pushing your product.

Unfortunately, most salespeople do not spend enough time letting their customer talk to develop a solid relationship. In fact, our observation and experience tell us that on any given sales call, the salesperson talks 80 percent of the time, leaving almost no time to listen. In addition, we've found that 80 percent of what we say while we're talking has no relevance to our customer's needs or interest. We call this 80 Percent Syndrome