Set goals – one of the easiest ways to measure success is by setting and completing goals. Goals give you a reason to wake up in the morning; they are excellent incentives to get you through the day. Goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely – put them in writing to keep track.
Be genuine – Connecting with prospect begins with the salesperson ability to be genuine. Focus on creating a real connection with the prospect by discussing their issues, not yours. Be a helper to the buyer, not a “pitcher”.
3. Listen to everyone – you can’t learn anything with your mouth open. Listening to other people’s ideas, opinions, objections and advice is the quickest way to learn something new. As a salesperson listening is effective towards understanding the prospect’s true needs, wants and issues. By discussing the everyday problems your prospects faces, they can feel understood by you. If the prospect feels appreciated, they will know that you identify with and care about their situation.
4. Always be prepared – never walk into a sales meeting with a client without doing your research first. Don’t be caught asking a question that you could easily find on their website or by Googling.
5. Never compromise your integrity – the saying people buy from people they know and trust. In business, you must tell the truth, and if people trust the salesperson, they buy- simple. It is a salespersons duty to look for what the buyer is thinking and see if there is a real possibility of a fix or not, being completely transparent is both respectful and professional. As always, honesty is the best policy.
6. Be presentable – you don’t often get a second chance to make a first impression, so don’t waste it! Always be well groomed, neat and well-mannered.
7. Develop a thick callus – rejection is part of the job, the quicker you acknowledged that, the easier it is to move on and keep improving yourself.
8. Keep your eye on the ball(s) – salespeople can often find themselves juggling several sales at different stages of the sales process. Great salespeople recognise that each is as important as the other and not to let one single ball drop out of his/her sight.
9. Stay positive – it can be difficult to shift your mindset when you are having a bad day, but you can alter a day by altering your mind. Remember to refocus and reset to a positive attitude, through good thoughts, talking to others, looking at photos or from whatever gives you a positive spin. Ultimately it is your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your success.
10. Stay hungry – a great salesperson is one who remains driven, they are willing to put in the extra effort to ensure results. When a salesperson can pick themselves up and make more calls, and work longer than their peers they are proving themselves. Even when the economy is poor, they are still out pounding the pavements, that’s the sign of a great salesperson.
11. Be a customer service extraordinaire – the sale begins when the customer says yes. Great salespeople take care of customers; they listen and have fantastic attention to detail to ensure their client is fully satisfied. Because if there is one thing a company can never have enough of its customers!
12. Never stop improving – learning doesn’t stop when you finish school, it’s a lifetime event. If you want to be the greatest salesperson, then you must have a thirst for self-improvement. The best salespeople are constantly enrolling in sales training, reading books and inhaling all they can to improve. Improving your work life directly feeds into a better outside work life too; it’s a win-win.
Originally posted on LinkedIn