You might have a great product, but if you can’t sell it to your target customers, then you’re going to be out of luck. As an energy broker, you’ve got what your customer needs—a better price on energy, but that’s not all you need to successfully close a sale with a client. You have to be able to convince them that your price is the best, and that this is going to be worth their investment. There are a lot of different ways to do that, and they might vary from customer to customer, but there are some definite things you should avoid if you want to make that sale.

1. Relying Too Much On The Presentation

Technology is great. It helps us keep our business in order, and some new technology can do amazing things when it comes to your sales presentation. But a mistake that will kill your ability to close a sale is relying too much on those slides. For one thing, it may not work when you need it most. Everyone has a story about a flash drive that got erased, a cord that didn’t have the right connection, or software that wouldn’t work. Know your product like the back of your hand, and be prepared if something goes wrong.

2. Not Reading The Room

The other reason not to rely so heavily on your presentation is that it can keep you from reading the room and realizing if you’re losing interest. Don’t be afraid to drop your PowerPoint and ask some questions. If you’re getting blank stares or obvious disinterest, you need to be able to read that and adjust accordingly

3. Not Doing Your Homework

Researching your potential customer before you get into the room with them is critical. Even knowing just a little bit of background information on them can help you avoid a situation where you’ve said something wrong, but don’t know what it is. Plus, you look that much more impressive when a client sees that you’ve done your homework.

4. Being Late

When time is precious, being late is one of the worst things you can do when meeting a customer. The first impression that you’re giving off is that you don’t have your act together. Why would someone buy what you’re selling at that point? Remember—early is on time, on time is late, and late is inexcusable.

5. Chasing a No

This is all about knowing when you’ve got a good lead, and knowing when it’s time to pack it in. Sometimes you get a polite no, and you have to understand that pushing for the sale after you’ve already lost it will only get you a bad reputation. “I won’t take no for an answer,” is only funny when you know you’ve got the sale in the bag. Otherwise it’s just obnoxious.

For tips on selling and building your energy broker business, visit our blog. And contact us today if you’d like to hear more about how Broker Online Exchange can help your business.