The year 2026 is shaping up to have even more uncertainty in the marketplace. Before you start planning your year, consider these eleven mistakes you ought to avoid.
1. Not asking for referrals
“The path to create trust and credibility is going to be longer, and the fastest way to cut that is to ask for referrals.” – Meridith Elliott Powell
2. Not supporting our friends and peers through referrals
“We have to become the Yelp reviews for our peers, and our peers have to become the Yelp reviews for us.” – Mark Hunter
3. Not making time for education
“This is the year that you truly have to be the known expert in the industry.” – Meridith Elliott Powell
“If we’re not seen as the industry expert, we’re just a vendor.” – Mark Hunter
4. Thinking you can do what you did last year….just more
5. Underestimating how current customers impact my future customers
“If my current customers don’t have a good experience, then they’re going to negatively impact my next opportunity for sales.” – Meridith Elliott Powell
“You better create an experience that allows them to talk positively about you.” – Mark Hunter
6. Automation without empathy
“One of the biggest mistakes you can make in 2026 is taking the human out of it.” – Meridith Elliott Powell
7. Avoiding experimenting with AI
“One of the biggest mistakes you can make with AI is thinking you have to be perfect at it.” -Meridith Elliott Powell
Question: Althea from the Philippines asks, “Buyers are taking so much longer to decide and it feels like the list of people involved in the decision is growing. How am I supposed to know when a deal is truly stalled versus just moving at today’s normal pace?”
8. Maintaining weak listening skills
9. Wasting time with the wrong prospect
“Do you understand the individual value prop? Are you talking to the economic buyer?” – Mark Hunter
“Is it going to save them money, make them money, or give them peace of mind?” – Meridith Elliott Powell
10. Keeping junk in your pipeline.
Be honest with yourself, and if it doesn’t belong there get it out. You’re only wasting your own time.
11. Not getting clear on the top 3-5 tasks that are the best use of your time.
“Work in those areas 80% of the time. That’s what’s going to close more deals.” Meridith Elliott Powell.
Book: Selling Through Tough Times By Tom Reilly
Lightning Round: Top 10 Things to Accelerate First Quarter Sales
- Start right now.
- Find sales among your current customers.
- Make a list of who you want to give referrals to, and get referrals from.
- Think of what your routine is, and get focused.
- Be consistent.
- Clean out your pipeline.
- Measure, track, and adjust at the end of every month. What’s working?
- Have a good list of questions to create conversations with customers.
- Make your value proposition strong.
- Strengthen your mindset.