In the competitive world of sales, account executives (AEs) often focus on the hard skills—closing deals, negotiating, and qualifying prospects. Yet, one crucial skill tends to be overlooked: making the buying process easy. Many AEs fail to recognise how buyer friction can lead to being ghosted, losing deals to indecision or competitors, or being left with a single point of contact. Here are six common mistakes AEs make that unintentionally kill deals.
1. Leaving Buyers to Figure Out Why They Should Buy
A common misstep is assuming that explaining what a product does or how it works is enough to persuade buyers. In reality, buyers are not looking to decipher these details on their own. They need clear reasons for why they should make a purchase. Without a compelling ‘why’, especially one that is easy for them to articulate to decision-makers like the CFO, the deal often stalls. AEs need to help prospects frame the value of the product in a way that resonates internally with their organisation, ensuring that all stakeholders understand the purpose and benefit of the purchase.
2. Leaving Buyers to Figure Out How They Should Buy
Another common issue arises when AEs fail to guide the buyer through the purchasing process. Asking, “What would you like to do next?” may sound consultative, but it often leaves the buyer uncertain and overwhelmed, particularly if they’ve never made a purchase in that category before. Instead, AEs should blend guidance with listening by saying something like, “Here’s how other clients have successfully evaluated our solution. What steps will those involved on your end need to take to make a confident yes/no decision?” By doing so, the AE provides a roadmap for the buyer while ensuring their needs and internal processes are considered.
3. Making Sales Stages the Heart of the Deal
It’s easy for sales teams to become hyper-focused on their internal sales stages, treating their process as the ultimate guide. However, it’s important to remember that most of the buying journey—83% to 95%, according to studies—happens without the seller. AEs need to align their process with the buyer’s internal decision-making stages. By doing this, they create less friction and reduce the likelihood of unknowns derailing the deal. Ultimately, understanding and supporting the buyer’s process can be the difference between a closed deal and a lost one.
4. Pushing for Calls When It’s Not Necessary
While regular calls can help maintain momentum in a deal, insisting on them can sometimes create unnecessary friction. In today’s digital world, buyers often prefer asynchronous communication—whether through email, shared documents, or other digital platforms. AEs should be confident enough to trust their internal champion within the buyer’s organisation and allow them to move the deal forward in a way that suits them. Pushing for control by scheduling more calls can lead to frustration, potentially driving the prospect away.
5. Becoming an ‘Information Giver’
One of the most common mistakes AEs make is overwhelming buyers with too much information. Bombarding them with case studies, technical documents, and other resources can leave them feeling lost. Buyers today have access to more information than ever before—they don’t need more; they need clarity. The role of an AE should be to act as a ‘Sense Maker’, distilling and curating the information to help buyers understand the value of the product in the context of their specific needs. By doing this, the AE simplifies the decision-making process rather than complicating it.
6. Running Chaotic Communication
Good communication is the backbone of any successful sales process. Unfortunately, many AEs fall into the trap of disorganised communication, scattering important information across emails, links, and attachments. This can confuse buyers, cause them to miss crucial steps, or fail to keep all stakeholders informed. A smooth sales process requires clear, organised communication that supports the buyer’s journey. The AE’s role is to project manage the deal, ensuring that communication between calls is as structured and purposeful as the calls themselves.
The Key Takeaway: Become Your Buyer’s Enablement Person
In the rush to perfect sales skills like closing, negotiating, and qualifying, many teams forget the most important role of all: enabling the buyer. The goal of an AE should not only be to sell but to make the purchasing process as frictionless as possible. It’s time to shift the focus towards teaching AEs how to become their buyer’s enablement person, providing them with the right tools and processes to do so. When AEs take on this role, they’re not just selling a product—they’re guiding the buyer towards a confident and informed decision.
