Skills of a salesperson – So you’ve decided to take the plunge into the world of sales. Even in tough economic times, plenty of people see the allure in becoming part of a sales team. Independence, adventure and the potential to make a lot of cash drives people to seek their fortunes in this industry, even if they began somewhere else like the tech world. All of those dreams can come true, but sales is in no way an easy career path. Here are a few cornerstone strategies that you need to use if you want to become a great salesperson.
Have a Winning Sales Culture
In any sales career or sales skills, you’ll most likely be working as part of a team. Without a strong and cohesive culture, any team will quickly fall apart. The first component of a strong culture is responsiveness to the team’s needs. One classic technique is having a physical or digital leaderboard to foster friendly competition among salespeople, but pulling people together to work on documents and craft strategies is also vital to team building. The second component of a strong sales culture is what makes this possible; learning to leverage technology in a way that empowers individual salespeople, which of course boosts the team as a whole. The cutting-edge of this is the use of customer relationship management (CRM) software, which is a sophisticated program suite used to track relationships and communications between a business and prospective customers. A team is about more than their tools, but the right tools can make everything a team does easier.
Avoid Being a Sales Stereotype
If you’re just getting into this industry, you might be asking yourself how you can learn to “think like a salesperson.” The answer is: don’t. It may seem counterintuitive, but the time-honored techniques of hard-selling and boiler rooms just don’t get the best results. In any sale, the seller should not be the one doing most of the talking. Ask about the customer’s life and their needs, and then explain to them honestly how your product will solve their challenges. Empathy, not fast-talk, is the approach you need to use. Avoid too much enthusiasm; that just comes off as insincere and manufactured. In other words, cloistered introverts are actually well positioned to become some of the most effective sellers.
Learn to Accept Rejection
According to HubSpot’s recent statistical study, 44% of new salespeople give up after their first pitch gets rejected. Who can blame them? Rejection feels horrible. In fact, science shows that the brain is hardwired to feel the pain of rejection in the same way as it does physical pain. The key to dealing with this is to not take the rejection personally. This isn’t love, it’s business. The best way to deal with rejection is to treat it as a positive. Every time someone says “no,” that’s one more chance to refine your techniques and become more effective. Learn when to take the initiative and walk away from a sale, too. Remember that you don’t need any one particular sale in order to be successful. Go into every sit-down with a prospective client having the mindset that they need your help, not the other way around.
Care About the Product
The best way gain this kind of confidence is to have a deep pride in what your company brings to the table. If you don’t believe in the product you’re selling, it’s going to be an uphill battle to convince anyone else to believe in it. We live in such an information-rich environment these days that people are getting better at telling fact from fiction and are demanding authenticity from brands. Make sure that your products are of a quality that you can stand behind. Always be straightforward about what you’re selling, even if you think this will put you at a disadvantage. The worst disadvantage is the perception of dishonesty.
The sales industry, perhaps more than any other, is one where the ability to leverage an opportunity makes the difference between success and failure. By refining your skills in the basics of sound marketing strategy, your future in the world of sales will be bright.
