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The Survey Says. . . Make sure you are aware of your selling weaknesses. . .you may not think that you resemble the pushy, dishonest "used car salesman" stereotype of the past, but sometimes we just might. A new survey from the American Management Association surveyed 1100 buyers on the sales tactics and behaviors that got under their skin the most. Here are their nine answers, ranked from most to least offensive: Being too pushy Not taking "no" for an answer Not listening Talking too much Bait and switch Reading from a script Using meaningless sales jargon Up-selling Being impatient Pushiness (24%) and refusing to accept a "no" (23%) were by the most offensive behaviors to survey respondents, with not listening (18%) trailing close behind. On the other end, up-selling annoyed a mere 4% of respondents, and being impatient, a tiny 2%. What are the takeaways? Here are three conclusions: Sell on the buyer's timeline -- don't force prospects to buy on your timeline. You won't have to be pushy if you maintain a pipeline full of prospects in various stages of the buying process. That way, you'll have prospects ready to close -- on their own terms -- each and every single month. "No" isn't a bad thing. Keep in mind that "no" is better than "maybe." When prospects disqualify themselves, you have more time to spend on better fit opportunities. Reps who listen, sell. How will you be able to put together a solution for your prospect if you don't truly listen to and understand their needs? Ask questions and carefully listen to your buyer's answers so you know how to best help them. Focus Point 49. Sometimes the truth might hurt – but you must tell it! Many times every day in our working lives, we need to know "the truth and nothing but the truth." The important thing is to face up to these situations and be strong enough to deliver that message. If you don't level with a client who is tolerating a situation that is hurting his business potential, the client could blame you when his numbers fall short. When colleagues ask you for some honest input, give it to them. But be careful in the way you frame your assessment. You want to be sure that you're constructive and supportive. You need all of your tact to deliver the message and to make sure nothing you say is hurtful. Also, we need to keep the communication channels open with all clients. Encourage them to let you know when they need something. If you don't exchange feedback constantly, your client might look elsewhere to find solutions for problems. Now you can follow me on Twitter @leslielgroene Find Leslie on LinkedIn: Learn more about Leslie Click here to see video Leslie named Leadership Excellence Top 100 Upcoming Events Click here to see event schedule Leslie's book Click here to buy now Talk of the Town Click here to see Leslie's Interview Washington Post Click here to read the article For a list of upcoming Los Angeles and National sales events Click here Here is 1 more of the Focus Points from Leslie's book, co-authored by Tom Mills and available on her website www.groeneconsulting.com