The Top 10 Reasons Sales Professionals (and Many Coaches) Fail When Selling
Sales is tough. So is recruiting. Avoid these mistakes, and watch your career grow
Lack of Prospecting Skills: Prospecting is the lifeblood of sales, yet some salespeople struggle to consistently identify and reach out to potential customers. Without effective prospecting skills, sales opportunities can quickly dry up.
The lesson for coaches? Understand that scouting is totally separate than recruiting. They are two different functions of the overall process. When you go out to find new talent and prospects, that isn’t recruiting. Recruiting is actually reaching out and telling the program’s story, and selling them on the idea of competing for you.
Poor Communication Skills: Sales success hinges on effective communication, including active listening, persuasive discussing, and building rapport with customers. Salespeople who struggle to communicate clearly or confidently may fail to connect with prospects and close deals.
The lesson for coaches? Make sure you take this part of your job - communicating and having the ability to sell to your prospects - a priority. Use your off-season to absorb everything you can when it comes to selling skills. And, of course, let us help.
Inability to Handle Rejection: Rejection is an inevitable part of sales, but some salespeople struggle to cope with it. Fear of rejection can lead to hesitancy, avoidance of difficult conversations, and ultimately, missed opportunities.
The lesson for coaches? If you calculate, for example, that you need to recruit 25 prospects to get 10 of them on campus, which results in 3 commitments, that means you need to actively search out 22 “no’s”. So, don’t crumble when you get a rejection. Actually, you need rejections in order to get to the 3 that say ‘yes’, right? Your numbers may vary (which reminds me…figure out your numbers!)
Lack of Product Knowledge: Salespeople need a deep understanding of their products or services to effectively communicate their value proposition to customers. Those who lack comprehensive product knowledge may struggle to address customer questions or objections, undermining their credibility and effectiveness.
The lesson for coaches? Your program, and your college, is your ‘product’. And make no mistake, this is a sales and decision making process! Your prospect and his or her family are making one of the biggest purchases of their lives in deciding where to go to school, and who to compete for. Know every aspect of your campus, as much as possible: Majors, how admissions works, what your players say about the dorms…everything. Don’t use the excuse, “I don’t need to know that because that’s someone else’s job”. It’s your job, Coach…because it’s your recruit!
Failure to Adapt to Change: The sales landscape is constantly evolving, with changes in technology, market trends, and customer preferences. Salespeople who are resistant to change or fail to adapt their strategies may find themselves falling behind their more agile competitors.
The lesson for coaches? Understand the latest trends, like the Transfer Portal, NIL, what’s happening with FAFSA, how your competitors are winning prospects creatively…soak it all in. Use your fellow coaches in your department as a resource. And, listen to our College Recruiting Weekly podcast: Start from the most recent episode, and work your way backwards. However you decide to adapt, just make sure you do!
Poor Time Management: Sales is a fast-paced profession that requires effective time management skills to prioritize tasks, set goals, and stay organized. Salespeople who struggle to manage their time effectively may become overwhelmed, leading to missed opportunities and decreased productivity.
The lesson for coaches? Find places on campus to get your work done. That is very likely not in your office! Go to a place nearby where all you can do is work: No distractions, no phone calls, no interruptions. For me, that’s on an airplane when I’m traveling to do one of our On-Campus Recruiting Workshops for an athletic department. Give me two or four hours with nothing but my laptop and a wifi signal, and I’ll turn out my most productive work. Same if I force myself to order a giant Starbucks iced tea and sit at a little table in the corner and just work. Look for distraction free zones that you can call your own, Coach. Master time management.
Over-reliance on ‘Sales Scripting’: While sales scripts can be helpful as a guideline, relying too heavily on scripted responses can come across as insincere or robotic to customers. Salespeople who lack the ability to engage in authentic, meaningful conversations may struggle to build trust and rapport with prospects.
The lesson for coaches? While I don’t think a lot of you have any kind of an over-reliance on sales scripts, I do know you tend to all use the same basic language and phrasing when you’re talking to recruits. Engage your prospects with simpler, more conversational topics versus the standard Q&A’s most coaches lean on.
Lack of Follow-Up: Successful sales often require multiple touchpoints with prospects to nurture relationships and close deals. Salespeople who fail to follow up promptly and consistently with leads may miss out on potential sales opportunities and lose credibility with customers.
The lesson for coaches? To the extent many coaches get it wrong when it comes to the same basic approach/questions/language in the recruiting process, follow-up - for many of you - is a strength. Our research with recruited student-athletes tells us, however, that what you follow-up with is key. Don’t just ‘check in’ on them (because they feel a quiet pressure from you beating around the bush with the underlying question of ‘so, are you coming to compete for us?’ Instead, have a reason you’re calling - and if it can be associated with an action or tangible follow-up response on their part, that’s ideal. Long term recruiting necessitates continued action and interest on their part when you reach out for personal communication with them. Don’t be bland, don’t be like every other coach in your subject matter, and don’t be subliminally trying to get their decision too early. Use long term consistency to build and maintain a steady back and forth conversational relationship.
Poor Relationship Building Skills: Building strong relationships with customers is essential for long-term success in sales. People buy from people they like. Salespeople who lack the ability to cultivate genuine connections with prospects and customers may struggle to earn trust, loyalty, and repeat business.
The lesson for coaches? Spend time at the start of recruiting a new class with 1) making your prospect feel comfortable and connected with you, 2) getting them to laugh, and 3) connecting as early as possible with the parents of your recruit, including them in the process from the start. Oh and I know #2 on this list might cause you to go ‘huh’? but science shows that when you are building a sales relationship that includes laughter, the odds skyrocket in your favor.
Unrealistic Expectations: Sales can be a demanding profession with fluctuating income, rejection, and pressure to meet targets. Salespeople who have unrealistic expectations about their earning potential, the time required to achieve success, or the challenges they will face may become disillusioned and ultimately give up on their careers.
The lesson for coaches? Recruiting is a part of your job as a college coach. A key part. And since that fact technically makes you a sales professional, get used to failing. That means, you lose a prospect. Actually, most of your prospects. If you go into each recruiting class with the attitude you are playing from behind, and not unrealistically overestimating how easy it’s going to be and how much all of your prospects are sure to love you, your program and your school, you’re going to build an approach that’ll be good for the long haul.