Every small business owner wants and needs to sell their products and services in order to meet business and revenue goals. However, many times entrepreneurs find themselves coming up short and not meeting financial goals and projections for their businesses. If this has happened to you, it is probably because of one or more reasons. I'd like to offer you a little insight as to why you are not selling more stuff. Check out my list below and see if any of this resonates with you.

1. Fear of rejection - Many times entrepreneurs have a horrible fear of hearing 'no' or 'uninterested.' They are afraid that people will judge them harshly for trying to sell their merchandise or services, as if selling is a dirty word. So what happens is they shy away and don't attempt to sell for fear of how people will perceive them. You can not afford to allow fear to keep you from selling your products and services. You must develop thick skin and use the no as a reason to press on for more information. No is not a bad word. When you hear the word no, it usually means the prospect is unsure why they should say yes.

2. Poor mindset - Many times entrepreneurs sabotage their sale efforts with negative thinking. If you believe that you will not sell anything, you will not sell anything. Having a winning mindset is the best way to conquer the anxiety or fear of the sales process. You must believe in your product or service. You must believe that you can sell it. It's that simple.

3. Failure to qualify your prospects - At all times you should know whether or not a prospect is a good fit for whatever you are selling. You will waste a lot of time talking to the wrong people and trying to sell the wrong type of people, if you fail to qualify them. If you qualify your prospects, you will stand a better chance of selling them something they need and they will be more anxious to buy if what you are selling solves a problem or meets a need they are aware of.

4. Ineffective sales pitch - Many times business owners pitch their products and services in a way that talks about features of that offering rather than describing the benefits to the prospective buyer. Your sales pitch should include a brief summary about your product or service, and how it addresses a need as well as the top two or three benefits of that item.

5. Failure to master the sales conversation - Sales is nothing more than having conversations with the right type of people who are interested in what you have to offer. If you learn to master the sales conversation, you will be able to turn a simple conversation into a closed deal. The art of turning conversations into favorable sales outcomes means you know how to listen and respond to buying cues. The prospect will always provide you with information that you can leverage to move closer to a close. Your job is to listen and provide enough value so the transition is flawless.

There are several reasons why you may not be selling as much as you would like. However, I've listed five of the most common reasons that entrepreneurs and small business owners fall short in their sales goals. If you would like to master the sales process, work on this areas and you will be ahead of most.