Most salespeople spend all their time thinking about how to close the sale—but few stop to consider what they might be doing that pushes buyers away.
It’s easy to focus on the right things, but being aware of the wrong things is just as critical. If you don’t recognize the habits that are hurting your sales, you could be handing deals to your competitors without even knowing it.
Here are the top three ways salespeople lose customers—and what to do instead.
Early in my career, someone told me to visualize my commission written across the customer’s forehead. #Gross.
Here’s the problem: If buyers feel like a sale, they won’t buy.
People don’t like being sold—they like connecting with someone who understands them. Studies show that it’s much harder to say no to a friend than it is to a salesperson.
That’s because trust, not pressure, is what makes people move forward.
What to Do Instead:
✔ Focus on the relationship first—buyers will open up when they feel heard.
✔ Get curious—ask meaningful questions and let them do the talking.
✔ Trust that sales follow connection—the commission takes care of itself when the buyer feels understood.
Let’s be clear: Trashing your competition doesn’t make you look better—it makes you look worse.
Anytime you badmouth another company, you’re actually associating those negative emotions with yourself. Instead of making buyers trust you, you’re creating skepticism. #Backfire.
Buyers aren’t looking for reasons to avoid your competitors—they’re looking for reasons to choose you.
What to Do Instead:
✔ Keep the focus on your strengths—what makes your homes, service, and experience stand out?
✔ Stay professional—buyers respect confidence, not criticism.
✔ Let the competition expose their own flaws—your job is to rise above.
Desperation in sales works like desperation in dating—the harder you chase, the faster people run.
Have you ever been in a sales slump and started doubting yourself? Your inner voice kicks in:
“I forgot how to sell.”
“I must have just gotten lucky before.”
“How did I even make it this far?”
Your mindset creates your reality. If you constantly tell yourself you’re struggling, your confidence takes a hit—and so do your results.
What to Do Instead:
✔ Change the focus—shift from “selling” to genuinely helping buyers make the right decision.
✔ Reframe your role—you’re not just selling homes, you’re selling life improvement.
✔ Build momentum—confidence comes from action, not waiting. Engage, connect, and the sales will follow.
I once worked with a sales consultant in Phoenix who had gone months without closing a deal. Her confidence was at an all-time low.
So, I challenged her: Instead of thinking of herself as a salesperson, what if she focused on bringing value to everyone who walked through the door?
That simple mindset shift changed everything.
She re-engaged with buyers, built trust, and—yes—started selling again.
Don’t hand business to your competition. Stop the habits that push buyers away and start leading conversations that build trust.
✔ Prioritize connection over closing.
✔ Focus on your strengths, not your competition’s weaknesses.
✔ Project confidence, even in a slump.
If you’re ready to shift from reactive sales to intentional trust-building, reach out today. Let’s make your team the one buyers choose first.