One of the biggest challenges in sales is getting prospects to engage—and stay engaged. Account Executives (AEs) often find themselves puzzled when potential buyers go silent, leaving deals stalled or abandoned. The truth is, many AEs make it harder for buyers to make a decision, rather than easier. Here are six common mistakes sales teams need to stop making to become easier to buy from.
1. Thinking Product Expertise is What Buyers Need
Knowing the product inside and out is valuable, but it’s not the top priority for buyers. Many AEs make the mistake of leaving it to the buyer to figure out why they need the product—what critical problems it solves and what the consequences are of not addressing those problems now. Watching buyers struggle to connect these dots can lead to confusion and hesitation, particularly when they try to sell the product internally.
Instead, focus on becoming an expert in your buyer’s pain points. Helping buyers understand the business implications of their challenges is far more powerful than just showcasing product features.
2. Thinking Being Accommodating Equals Being Helpful
Being overly accommodating, such as asking, “What would you like to do next?” or “What are your success criteria for this POC?” may seem polite, but it’s not actually helpful. Many buyers have never purchased in your category before, and they’re looking for guidance, not just options.
Rather than putting the decision-making entirely in their hands, offer suggestions based on what’s worked for others. Statements like, “What’s helped other customers is X” or “I think we should do Y next” can provide the direction buyers need while still giving them control over the final decision.
3. Making Sales Meetings the Centre of the Deal
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the key to closing a deal is what happens in the sales meetings—the demo, trial, or negotiation. But the reality is that about 95% of the buying process happens when the AE isn’t in the room. Buyers are left to build the business case, figure out requirements, or calculate total cost of ownership (TCO) on their own.
AEs should be mindful that the real work for buyers happens outside of these meetings. Instead of focusing solely on your sales process, help your champion manage their internal processes—this is where the deal is really won or lost.
4. Being an ‘Information Giver’ Instead of a ‘Sense Maker’
AEs often assume that buyers are hungry for information, so they flood them with case studies, technical documentation, and recorded calls. While this may seem helpful, it can actually overwhelm buyers. In reality, buyers often struggle to digest all the information they’re bombarded with.
Rather than simply giving information, focus on helping buyers make sense of it. Guide them through the material, connecting the dots to ensure they see how the solution solves their specific problems. Your role is to make the buying journey easier, not harder.
5. Thinking There’s Such a Thing as ‘Buyers’
It’s important to remember that buying is just one small part of a prospect’s job. They don’t become full-time buyers of your solution—they’re still busy running their day-to-day operations. AEs need to empathise with the fact that buyers are juggling multiple priorities.
Ask yourself, “Will this busy executive read this?” or “Is my champion likely to complete all these tasks, or will they disappear for weeks?” By understanding the limited time and attention your buyers have, you can make their lives easier and reduce the chances of getting ghosted.
6. Creating Email-Link-Attachment Chaos
One of the easiest ways to lose a buyer is by overloading them with disorganised communication. Too many emails, scattered links, and attachments sent in multiple threads can quickly turn into chaos, causing important details to fall through the cracks. Buyers might miss crucial steps in the process or fail to keep stakeholders informed.
As an AE, your job is to help project-manage the buying process. Consolidate your communications, tailor information for specific roles, and ensure everything is organised and easy for buyers to access. This way, they’re more likely to stay engaged and follow through.
Takeaway
Traditional selling skills like qualification, closing, and negotiating are important, but they’re not enough to keep buyers engaged. The real job of an AE is to be the buyer’s enablement partner—helping them navigate the buying process and making it as simple and painless as possible.
By avoiding these common mistakes and focusing on enabling your buyers, you’ll stop getting ghosted and start closing more deals. It’s time to rethink the AE role and teach teams how to be truly buyer-friendly.
