Sales is a skill like any other, and even the most successful salespeople have been in your shoes at some point. The good news? Every mistake you’re making is fixable. Here are the top reasons why you suck at sales and, more importantly, how you can turn things around.

1. You Talk Too Much and Listen Too Little

One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is dominating the conversation. If you’re spending the majority of your sales calls rattling off features, benefits, and pricing without taking the time to truly listen to your prospect, you’re missing the mark. No one wants to feel like they’re being talked at. Sales is about solving problems, not giving a lecture.

Why You Suck:
You’re too focused on your pitch and not focused enough on your prospect’s needs. You assume you know what they want instead of asking them directly.

How to Fix It:
Start asking open-ended questions and let the prospect do the talking. Listen carefully to their answers and tailor your approach to address their specific pain points. The more you listen, the better you can align your product or service with what they actually need.

2. You Don’t Follow Up

You’ve had the initial meeting. The prospect seemed interested, but then you never hear from them again. Sound familiar? One of the most common reasons salespeople fail is because they don’t follow up consistently. They get discouraged after the first no, or they let leads go cold by not checking in regularly.

Why You Suck:
You assume that if someone doesn’t buy right away, they’re not interested. You wait for prospects to chase you instead of being proactive.

How to Fix It:
Follow-up is critical in sales. Don’t be afraid to send a quick email, make a call, or even show up in person if appropriate. Prospects are busy, and often, the difference between a lost lead and a closed deal is a simple follow-up. Be persistent, but not annoying—just a quick “checking in” can keep you top of mind.

3. You’re Afraid of Asking for the Sale

Closing is the most critical part of the sales process, but many salespeople hesitate to ask for the sale outright. They fear rejection, don’t want to seem pushy, or are simply unsure of how to transition into the close. If you can’t confidently ask for the business, don’t be surprised when you don’t get it.

Why You Suck:
You’re not pushing hard enough when it’s time to close. You might be great at building relationships and rapport, but that doesn’t translate into deals if you don’t take the next step.

How to Fix It:
Learn to ask for the sale confidently. Practice different closing techniques until you find one that feels natural for you. Whether it’s a soft close (“How would you like to move forward?”) or a more direct approach (“Let’s get the paperwork started so we can implement this right away”), don’t shy away from closing the deal. After all, that’s why you’re there.

4. You Don’t Understand Your Product Well Enough

If you can’t answer key questions about your product or service, prospects will quickly lose confidence in you. Bad salespeople often rely on generic scripts or memorized pitches without fully understanding what they’re selling. In industries like merchant services, where pricing models, fees, and technology can get complex, a lack of product knowledge is a major red flag for potential clients.

Why You Suck:
You’re not taking the time to learn the ins and outs of what you’re selling. When prospects ask tough questions, you either dodge them or give unclear answers, which destroys trust.

How to Fix It:
Become an expert on your product. Know every feature, benefit, and potential downside so that you can speak confidently and handle objections smoothly. The more you know, the more trustworthy and credible you’ll appear.

5. You’re Too Focused on Yourself

Sales is about serving the customer, not serving yourself. If you’re more concerned with hitting your quota, earning your commission, or making yourself look good than you are about solving your prospect’s problem, it shows. Self-centered salespeople come across as insincere and pushy, and that’s a fast track to losing deals.

Why You Suck:
You’re making the sale all about you. Prospects can feel when your primary goal is to benefit yourself, rather than helping them achieve their objectives.

How to Fix It:
Shift your mindset. Approach every sales call with the intention of helping the prospect solve a problem. If your product or service can do that, the sale will follow naturally. Focus on delivering value, and you’ll close more deals in the long run.

6. You’re Not Handling Objections Well

When prospects raise objections—whether it’s about price, timing, or suitability—a bad salesperson gets defensive, flustered, or worse, ignores the concern entirely. Good salespeople know that objections are part of the process and see them as opportunities to provide more information and build trust.

Why You Suck:
You’re viewing objections as obstacles, rather than opportunities to clarify and reassure the customer. You either avoid objections or respond in a way that doesn’t address the real concern.

How to Fix It:
Embrace objections as a natural part of the sales conversation. Prepare for common objections in advance and practice your responses. Use the Feel, Felt, Found technique: “I understand how you feel. Other clients have felt the same way, but what they found is that once they started using our service, their costs dropped significantly.” This helps you acknowledge the concern while steering the conversation back toward the value you provide.

7. You’re Not Prospecting Enough

If your pipeline is empty, it’s because you’re not filling it. Prospecting is the lifeblood of sales, and bad salespeople often neglect this critical step. Whether you’re avoiding cold calling, not following up on leads, or relying too heavily on inbound inquiries, a lack of proactive prospecting will kill your sales numbers.

Why You Suck:
You’re not putting in the effort to find new business. You rely too much on a small group of leads, and when they dry up, so do your deals.

How to Fix It:
Make prospecting a daily habit. Whether it’s through cold calls, networking, sending out introductory emails, or visiting businesses in person, you need to constantly be on the lookout for new opportunities. The more leads you have in your pipeline, the better your chances of closing.

Conclusion: Time to Stop Sucking and Start Selling

The reasons you might be struggling in sales aren’t a mystery—they’re common mistakes that can be fixed with the right mindset, effort, and focus. Whether you’re not listening to your clients, failing to follow up, or simply not asking for the sale, you have the power to turn it around.

Start by acknowledging where you’re going wrong, then put in the work to improve. Learn to listen more, follow up consistently, become an expert in your product, and always, always focus on delivering value to your clients. Do this, and you’ll go from sucking at sales to thriving in no time.