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WORK HABITS A SALES REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD AVOID
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Work Habits A Sales Representative Should Avoid

The Betts Team
October 16, 2016

Bad work habits should always be avoided and this holds especially if you’re a sales representative. Salespeople are most successful when they are able to build genuine connections with customers, focus their efforts, and have a passion for their job. If you’re looking to be a successful sales representative, avoid these work habits!

NOT BEING PRODUCTIVE IN THE OFFICE

Although putting in face time at the office is important, make sure you are using the time you spend at work actually working. If you’re showing up just to be in the office, but aren’t actually working, it will affect your performance. Don’t waste time that could be spent developing leads and filling your pipeline. Beyond weakening your own sales, a distractive team member can damage an entire team’s quota. Keep this in mind if you constantly find yourself sitting at your desk daydreaming. When you’re in the office, make sure you are taking full advantage of the resources around you.

CUTTING WORK HOURS

A sales job gives you as much as you put in. Working longer and harder will actually get you more sales and better business. If you’re running late every once in a while or need to leave early sporadically, it’s easy to schedule your calls around these time conflicts. But if you’re finding yourself staring at the clock or waking up at the last minute, you are setting yourself up for failure as a sales representative. Don’t make shorter and shorter workdays a habit. It will not only decrease your productivity, it will influence your reputation both with colleagues and clients. If you’ve already gone home well before five, you’re not demonstrating your commitment to your job.

SNAPCHATTING, TWEETING, AND POSTING TOO MUCH

Scanning personal social media accounts is something many employees waste time on. With the countless apps you can download, it’s easy to feel the pressure to constantly keep up to the ever-changing content. Tweeting or snapping on your lunch break isn’t a big deal. If you find yourself running late to a meeting, though, then you may have developed a bad habit. Don’t let notifications on your phone distract you from a sales call. If your phone is constantly pinging or you’re checking your Facebook more than your email, you need to reevaluate your focus. Leaving your phone in your bag or turning off push notifications can help keep your social media life second to your professional work.

MAKING SILLY MISTAKES

Just because you have a high-pressure job and deal with countless clients a day doesn’t mean you can write off simple mistakes. Don’t develop the habit of not double-checking your work. Sending a sloppy email, misquoting a potential client, or under-representing a company’s interest can seriously hurt your reputation. Always strive to maintain the same level of excellence you brought the first day on your job. Proofreading, spellchecking, and practicing can make sure you are always professional and always positively representing your company. Silly mistakes and errors are easily avoidable if you take the necessary time to review your work.

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