5 Pieces of Terrible Sales Advice to Avoid Like the Plague in 2024

As the Director of Sales at Coursedog, I‘ve had a front row seat to the rapid evolution of B2B selling over the past decade. I‘ve onboarded hundreds of new reps, sat through countless training sessions, and received more well-intentioned advice than you could fit in a sales playbook.

And here‘s what I‘ve learned: a lot of the conventional wisdom that gets passed down from rep to rep and company to company is, well, terrible. In fact, some of the most common nuggets of sales advice could be actively sabotaging your success rates and relationships.

In a world where customers are more informed, independent, and risk-averse than ever, outdated sales tactics stick out like a sore thumb. So if you‘re still clinging to any of these 5 terrible pieces of advice, it‘s time for an honest rethink. Let‘s dive in.

1. "Sales is a numbers game – focus on quantity over quality"

There‘s a pervasive myth that sales success is all about playing the odds – that if you just send enough generic emails or make enough cold calls, you‘re bound to see results. But in 2024, this mindset is a surefire way to damage your reputation and pipeline.

Consider this: the average office worker receives 121 emails per day, and that number is only rising. Your prospects‘ inboxes are absolutely flooded with noise, and a generic, templatized message will be screened out faster than you can say "unsubscribe."

Personalization, on the other hand, pays massive dividends in sales outreach:

The takeaway is clear: a smaller number of highly targeted, relevant messages will drive far better results than blasting your whole CRM. So instead of trying to hit quota through sheer volume, focus your time on researching accounts, finding personal connections, and crafting outreach that speaks to each prospect‘s unique pain points.

For example, before reaching out, check the prospect‘s LinkedIn for:

  • Shared connections you can name-drop
  • Recent posts you can comment on or concerns you can address
  • Clues about their role, goals and challenges you can incorporate into your message

The goal is to show you‘ve done your homework and tailor your approach to their world. As one of my reps puts it: "Treat each new account like you‘re writing a letter to your dream client – because you are. Do the work to understand and personalize before you ever hit ‘send.‘"

2. "Always be closing"

Ah, the bane of every modern sales rep‘s existence – the pressure to "always be closing." This mantra (immortalized by Alec Baldwin‘s character in Glengarry Glen Ross) might be the most infamous piece of sales advice out there.

And look, there‘s nothing inherently wrong with keeping your eye on the prize and working efficiently to get deals over the line. The problem is that "ABC" has become a stand-in for high-pressure, self-oriented, borderline sleazy sales behaviors that just don‘t work anymore.

The truth is, the average B2B buying process now involves 6-10 decision makers across multiple departments, often over a period of several months. Trying to strong-arm this complex process and close at all costs shows a fundamental lack of understanding of how modern businesses make purchase decisions.

What‘s more, buyers have gotten wise to old-school closing tactics. A recent study found that the top 3 complaints B2B buyers have about vendors are:

  1. Being too pushy or aggressive (41%)
  2. Not understanding their needs (38%)
  3. Not listening (33%)

In other words, the quickest way to lose a deal in 2024 is to barrel forward with your own agenda instead of acting as a supportive guide.

That‘s why I coach my reps to adopt an "always be helping" mindset instead:

  • Focus on understanding the buyer‘s process and decision criteria
  • Share educational content and resources to help them reach consensus internally
  • Serve as an objective advisor by discussing potential drawbacks or alternatives
  • Collaborate with them on building an airtight business case and success plan

When you consistently deliver value and make their buying process easier, you earn the right to ask for the sale. So ditch the cheesy closing techniques and start helping customers make confident decisions – your pipeline will thank you.

3. "Never take no for an answer"

Okay, let‘s talk about persistence. It‘s true that objections are a normal part of any sales cycle and that sometimes a "no" really means "not right now." A good salesperson should absolutely have strong rebuttal skills and feel comfortable following up when a deal stalls.

But there‘s a big difference between professionally nurturing a relationship and stubbornly refusing to take no for an answer. I‘ve seen far too many reps fall into the trap of hounding prospects who have made it crystal clear they aren‘t interested or ready to buy.

Not only is this behavior disrespectful of the prospect‘s wishes, it‘s a huge waste of time and emotional energy that could be better spent on more qualified opportunities. Worse, it can permanently damage your credibility and ability to re-engage that account in the future.

Consider these statistics:

  • 50% of prospects are not a good fit for what you sell (source)
  • It takes an average of 8 cold call attempts to reach a prospect (source)
  • 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up attempt (source)

Knowing when to walk away from the wrong prospects is just as important as knowing how to engage the right ones. There‘s no shame in a strategic disqualification or a respectful acknowledgement that it‘s not the right fit.

Here‘s a simple framework for persistence without pushiness:

  1. After an initial objection, seek to understand their hesitation and share 1-2 relevant use cases
  2. If they still seem uncertain, offer to connect them with an existing customer or send over case studies
  3. If they give a firm "no" or stop responding, send a final breakup email recapping your value prop and inviting them to reach out if anything changes

And always strive to end every interaction on a positive note, even if it doesn‘t result in a sale. You never know when that prospect might refer you to a colleague or change roles and be in the market for your solution again. Play the long game and treat every "no" as a "not now."

4. "Under-promise and over-deliver"

On the surface, the idea of setting low expectations and then wowing the customer by exceeding them makes sense. But in practice, this approach is problematic for a few reasons.

First, deliberately understating your capabilities can make it hard to get prospects excited about your offering in the first place. If your projections sound lackluster next to competitors who are making big promises, buyers may write you off as a lower-tier vendor and opt for the flashier option.

Second, if a customer does sign on and later realizes you were holding back the full scope of your services, they‘re likely to feel misled. It sends a message that you‘re willing to bend the truth to make the sale, which damages trust in the relationship. And if they talk to other customers who received "special treatment," it risks creating a perception of unfairness.

There‘s even some psychological research suggesting that exceeding a promise doesn‘t boost customer satisfaction much, while falling short of one has a major negative impact. In other words, it‘s smarter to aim high and just barely miss than to aim low and surpass.

The key is to find a balance of ambition and realism in your commitments:

  • Collaborate with the buyer upfront to define clear success metrics
  • Pressure-test those goals against historical data to ensure they‘re achievable
  • Bake in a small buffer for potential unknowns so you‘re highly likely to hit the target
  • If you do over-deliver, position it as a testament to your strong partnership vs. a ploy

For example, if your data shows customers typically achieve 25% cost savings in the first year, you might tell the prospect:

"Based on our analysis of your current process and the results similar companies have seen, we‘re confident we can reduce your costs by at least 22% within 12 months. That said, with a strong implementation and adoption plan, I think we have a real shot at getting you closer to 30%. Let‘s commit to that 22% goal, and I‘ll be working hard behind the scenes to overachieve if at all possible."

Grounding your promises in reality – while still aiming to delight – demonstrates credibility, instills confidence, and sets the stage for an honest, results-driven partnership. And if you end up shattering expectations, it will be a welcome surprise rather than an expectation.

5. "Research prospects‘ personal lives to build rapport"

The explosion of information available online has been a game-changer for sales reps. With a few quick searches, you can learn an incredible amount about your buyers before ever meeting them.

But there‘s a fine line between doing your due diligence and crossing over into creepy stalker territory. I‘ve heard countless stories of reps taking it too far by bringing up a prospect‘s recent vacation photos, commenting on their kids‘ names, or pretending to share obscure personal hobbies.

In theory, leveraging these intimate details is supposed to create instant affinity and trust. In reality, it has the opposite effect. It shows you‘re willing to invade their privacy for your own gain and raises questions about what else you might do with their data.

In a survey by Demand Gen Report, B2B buyers rated "spammy, salesy, impersonal outreach" as their #1 frustration with vendors. And a separate study found that sales emails containing personal information unrelated to business needs have a 70% lower response rate.

The lesson? Stick to intel that is directly relevant to their professional world and goals. Scour their LinkedIn profile for shared industry connections, companies or events. Read their posts and comments for insights into their challenges or priorities. Check the company website for fresh announcements or initiatives related to your offering.

Some safe bets:

  • "I noticed you used to work at [company] – my colleague John spoke very highly of his time there. How has the culture compared at [current company] so far?"
  • "Congrats on expanding your team by 40% last quarter! I‘m curious, has that growth introduced any new operational challenges you‘re looking to solve for?"
  • "I saw your post about the frustrations of migrating data between so many tools. We‘ve actually been developing a new integration to help streamline that process – would you be open to taking a look?"

Remember, the goal at this stage is to demonstrate effort and get the conversation started, not to be their new best friend. Keep it professional, keep it pertinent, and keep it above board.

Out with the old, in with the human

If you take one thing away from this post, I hope it‘s this: challenge "the way it‘s always been done" in sales. Just because a piece of advice is repeated ad nauseum doesn‘t make it gospel.

In fact, the sales orgs seeing the most success today are those who are actively subverting long-held industry tropes and putting relationships before rigid process. They understand that what buyers crave more than anything is to be heard, understood, and supported through an incredibly complex process.

So ditch the "spray and pray" mentality, the "always be closing" pressure, and the intrusive personal outreach. Focus instead on account fit, strategic persistence, credible promises, and relevant personalization. Build real rapport by listening more than you talk and providing value at every touchpoint.

In short, be more human. Be someone your customers can trust to guide them honestly and capably to the best possible outcome – whether or not that means making a sale.

Because at the end of the day, your reputation is your most valuable asset. And the reps who prioritize integrity over quick wins will be the ones still standing when the dust settles on this brave new era of sales.

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