The sales industry is ever-changing as new techniques and technologies arise, but a number of myths and misconceptions about sales have stood the test of time. In this blog, we’ll be debunking some common myths about sales.

High-pressure techniques are required to close sales

A number of sales team members and leaders believe that they need to be a ruthless negotiator and apply a lot of pressure to prospects in order to close a sale, but this is not the case. More often than not, closing a sale comes about as a result of a good process and the right prospect, but there is no special technique required. While creating a sense of urgency is important for your prospects to take action to commit to an order, this should come at the end of the sale in the form of a gentle nudge. The more time you spend building a relationship with a prospect, the more natural it will feel to nudge them in the right direction at the end.

Sales team members need to be extroverts

A professional sales team is usually made up of both extroverts and that each bring their different skills to the table. While an extrovert will have the ‘gift of the gab’, anintroverts"> introvert will use active listening, reflection, and curiosity in order to close a sale effectively without dominating the conversation. While extroverts have a number of behavioral advantages when it comes to sales, they could stand to benefit from the techniques of your more introverted team members by asking more questions, listening effectively, and channeling their enthusiasm.

It’s better to start at the top

While it may not have been true in the past, sales teams are beginning to realise that customers in growth markets, or middle-sized customers, present a better proposition than those at the top. Competition in mid-sized markets is less fierce, which can make deals more profitable. Decisions in mid-sized businesses are often made more quickly and the decision-makers are usually more accessible, which can make the sales cycle much shorter.