There are numerous skills and traits that help define
successful salespeople. These traits are beneficial
regardless of whether you sell tangible products, services
or your ideas. Developing these skills will benefit every
entrepreneur and business owner who must daily interact
with others to transact business.
Consider the following as your personal assets inventory,
each is well beyond any amount of monetary value, yet each
is capable of assisting you in generating great financial
returns.
1. Be sold on yourself.
You must believe in your gut that you are both worthy of
success and capable of achieving it. You must believe that
you offer unique and substantial value to others,
confident of your worth in every transaction. You must
confidently accept yourself as the most capable person in
your field, able to offer your customers amazing value.
2. Develop and maintain a sales plan.
Just as you cannot hit a target you cannot see, you must
have written goals and a plan to achieve them if you are to
have any significant direction and success in your career.
Once your plan is written, you can begin executing it. In a
logical, step-by-step manner, you will achieve those goals
and fulfill your plan. A plan gives you necessary direction
to act upon.
3. Understand the value of a strong first impression.
Our customers begin to size us up within seconds of our
first contact, whether you are calling on the phone or
visiting them in person. You must impress them, convincing
them that you alone offer the solutions they seek. You must
instill a seed of faith so that they will trust you for a
continuing relationship.
4. Pursue continuous learning and training.
If you want to earn more, then you have to learn more,
first. Our world is changing so quickly, demanding that we
stay current with our existing skills while concurrently
developing new ones, allowing us to adapt to changing
markets and requirements. Continuously learning new skills
is critical to your success.
5. Become an effective communicator.
Communication begins with our first exposure. It involves
not only our personal oratory skills, but even more
importantly, our listening skills. We must develop the art
of effective questioning. We must also become skilled at
reading the body language of our prospects and customers.
6. Use time wisely. Become highly productive.
Many people tend to meander through their work day,
floating from task to task or simply doing what comes
along. This is not the schedule of a successful
salesperson. You need to work your plan, scheduling
appointments and complete planned tasks in a timely manner.
Non-productive time during the work-day will cost you.
Eliminate distractions. Focus and stay focused.
7. Realize that technology is a tool, not a crutch.
I enjoy using high-tech sales tools as much as anyone, but
they do not define my presentation. Are you capable of
delivering your sales presentation if your projector burns
out or you experience other technological failures? If not,
your tools have become a crutch. Remember, you are the
presentation. It is your knowledge, skills and experience
that will provide the solutions your customer needs.
8. Genuinely care about others.
People sense disconnect. We sense dishonesty. We sense
insincerity. If your attitude is all about yourself, that
selfishness will permeate the environment you work in.
However, if your desire is to genuinely help others, your
customers will sense that as well. You will be welcomed as
the sort of person that they want to do business with. This
is not something you can fake.
These are not the only effective habits of successful
salespeople. Additional skills will develop and are built
on the backbone of these core strengths. Being successful
in your ability to influence others begins with your belief
in yourself and the depth of your values.
Master these eight skills and you are well on your way to
enjoying a successful sales career.
----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development spanning a successful 25 year career.
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com
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