--- title: How You Fail In Sales | The Sales Blog description: "Selling is difficult. It’s easy to fail. Here are some the way you can fail. Failure to be known: You aren’t going to succeed in sales if you aren’t known. Unless people know you and what you do, you’re not going to create the opportunities you need to succeed. Failure to connect: You still need […]" image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_125840186.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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It’s easy to fail. Here are some the way you can fail. **Failure to be known**: You aren’t going to succeed in sales if you aren’t [known](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2010/10/27/they-don%e2%80%99t-know-you/). Unless people know you and what you do, you’re not going to create the opportunities you need to succeed. **Failure to connect**: You still need to be liked. You have to connect with people. If you don’t connect, it’s difficult for people to choose to spend more time with you. **Failure to gain trust**: Connection isn’t the only relationship component you need to create. You also need to build [trust](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/07/23/still-know-like-and-trust-still-attitude/). You can be known and liked but not trusted. Without trust, you’re going nowhere. **Failure to create opportunities**: Just because your prospective client has agreed to meet with you doesn’t mean you really have an opportunity. You have to create that opportunity be capturing dissatisfaction or helping to create it. **Failure to create value**: Your job in sales is to create value for your buyer through their buying process. If you don’t create value, if you don’t have [big ideas](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2014/02/09/how-to-use-your-insight-to-create-greater-value/) that make a difference, if you waste your prospective client’s time, you won’t create or move an opportunity forward. **Failure to gain commitments**: Only bored, receptive buyers like professional visitors, the salespeople who spend time in their offices never asking for a [commitment](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2010/06/14/from-commitment-to-commitment/), never moving a deal forward. Without the ability to ask for an gain commitments, you can’t succeed in sales. Sales is conversations and commitments. **Failure to gain consensus**: You may think you are calling on “the” decision-maker. But decisions are mostly made after consensus has been reached. You have to help build that consensus. Without it, the status quo wins and you lose. **Failure to present the right solution**: You can have the best idea in the world, but if your dream client doesn’t share that vision, it’s wrong. You either sell them what you believe is right or you help them buy what they already want. Buyers buy what they believe to be the right solution. **Failure to ask for the business**: You have to [close](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/08/09/7-steps-to-close-sales-fast/). You have to ask for the business. You have to get a signature. This is part of selling, even if you don’t want to be “salesy.” ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2014](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2014) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on May 9, 2014 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2021-09-17T2:40:32 PM", "datePublished" : "2014-05-09 21:16:37", "description" : "Selling is difficult. It’s easy to fail. Here are some the way you can fail. Failure to be known: You aren’t going to succeed in sales if you aren’t known. Unless people know you and what you do, you’re not going to create the opportunities you need to succeed. 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