By Adam Honig,

Making a lot of money in sales isn’t easy. If it was then everyone would be doing it. Not everyone can handle the pressures of the job, and many of those who give it a shot end up quickly leaving with their tail between their legs.

So why do some people thrive in sales jobs while others go down in flames? Here are the ten main reasons why some salespeople fail:

1. Not listening enough

Being a good listener is probably the most overlooked sales skill of all. Many sales reps spend far too much time talking, and nowhere near enough time listening to what the customer truly wants. If you listen attentively, and pay attention, the customer will tell you everything you need to know in order to close their deal.

2. Not understanding the value proposition

Sales is all about creating value. Many sales reps don’t understand this concept, and instead try to pressure the customer to complete the transaction instead of building up the value of whatever it is you’re selling in the customer’s eyes. In order to build value, you must understand what your product offers that creates that value.

3. Inconsistency

If you’ve ever worked in sales, you’ve almost certainly worked with sales reps who go from the top of the board one month to struggling for deals the next, part of a vicious cycle. Those who last in sales understand that producing consistently is the key to a successful sales career, and that constant ups and downs can make sales feel more stressful than it already is.

4. Being too timid

While the fast-talking, overbearing salesperson annoys most customers beyond belief, a timid salesperson won’t last longer than a few months in the profession. If you’re scared to call people, too shy to approach them, and don’t have the courage to ask for the business, you might as well dust off your resume and start searching indeed.com for a new job.

5. The sales cycle is a bad fit

An often overlooked factor when looking for a sales job is whether or not the sales cycle is a good fit for a particular sales rep. Selling a car to a customer can take a few hours, while selling telecom services to an enterprise client can take months or longer from start to finish. Some sales reps thrive on the quick sale, while others can handle a longer cycle.

6. Lack of follow-up

It’s amazing how many sales reps give up after only one or two follow-ups to a lead, or a prospect that they’ve already pitched. Research has shown that it typically takes between 8-12 follow-up calls to close a deal, so sales reps who don’t hit those numbers are doing themselves and their sales careers huge disservice.

7. Focusing too much on the negative

There can be a lot to complain about in sales; the leads aren’t any good, the industry is in a downturn, the comp plan changed for the worst. It’s easy to complain, but it gets you absolutely nowhere. Successful sales reps put aside all negativity and excuses, and make things happen. The leads are bad? Go out and find prospects yourself. The comp plan changed? Sell twice as much! No one has ever gotten to the top of any sales organization by complaining.

8. Not setting daily goals

Every salesperson has a sales goal that’s set by the company. But not every salesperson sets achievable daily or weekly goals for themselves in order to achieve that bigger goal. If you want to close a certain number of deals per month, it will take measurable daily activity to get there: prospecting, calling, pitching, and following-up. If you don’t get in the habit of setting smaller consumable goals, you won’t come anywhere near hitting the bigger ones.

9. Not knowing the product and competition

To succeed in any industry, you absolutely have to understand your product inside and out, as well as what your competition is offering that you aren’t, and what you’re offering that they’re not. Sure, you could try to get by on likability and wit alone, but the smart buyers that you’ll inevitably run into will make the difference between being at the top of the board or somewhere towards the bottom.

10. They don’t embrace being a salesperson

Possibly the biggest reason why some people don’t last long in sales is that they never embrace their profession. The general public doesn’t value salespeople as much as they should, and some people can never get past that. The best salespeople embrace their position and own it, understanding the role they play for their companies and their families, at the front lines of the workforce. To put it simply; the best salespeople love what they do.