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Top 5 Characteristics of Great Salespeople
I am a big believer that great salespeople generally realize their greatness, rather than being borne that way. OK, sure we've all heard somebody in sales who told us that they've been in sales all their life. It all started when they were a kid, selling lemonade from their lemonade stand for a dime, or selling magazines door to door. But this is really more a reflection of the family environment that they grew up in that may have encouraged or necessitated this than anything else. Even if you did not sell seeds or magazine subscriptions door to door as a kid, you still have a chance at greatness in sales. I gave this topic some thought because of a call I received today from one of my readers. She mentioned how the perception she had of salespeople growing up, was different than what she felt were her own personal strengths. So I thought today, that I'd share with you what I believe to be the primary characteristics of outstanding salespeople. #1 - Results FocusedIf you are selling for someone else, what they care about most is whether or not you get the sales that they ask for (i.e. did you make your quota or not). One of best things about being a salesperson is you have a tremendous amount of freedom and discretion in how you use your time. In return, you must be able to stay focused on the big picture and not let small problems or dramas distract you. If you sell for yourself and you are not focused on results, then you are not in business. #2 - CourageousWe all experience fear at one time or another. Great salespeople are courageous in that they are able to act and move forward even in the presence of their own fears. Fear is the reaction we have when you know that you need to do something or that something is going to happen soon that you are not prepared for. This could be making cold calls or making a major decision that you believe to be right when you know that your management will not agree with you. #3 - High EnergyThis one is really simple. Despite all the lame jokes about salespeople being out on the golf course all the time, top performers work their asses off. Being able to kick-back and work 30 hours a week while making quota may sound great. But the true top-performers got that way by working long and hard to beat out their competition while the other guys were boozin' it on the golf course. In short, you must be able to do "Whatever It Takes" to get to the top. #4 - Knows PeopleOf all the characteristics that people attribute to salespeople, this is the one the one that people are most often talking about when they describe a "natural". The ability to establish rapport and maintain rapport is probably the single most powerful skill a salesperson can have. The most flexible people can adapt and establish rapport with others from a multitude of backgrounds and cultures. The longer you can maintain rapport with more people, the more chances you will have to ask questions, uncover opportunities, and present solutions that make sales. And as with everything else in sales, this skill can actually be learned. #5 - Committed To GrowthGreat salespeople got that way by always looking for a better way. They are always improving their approach, their techniques, and their attitude. There are many philosophies on what the *best* approach to sales is. Some work better than others depending on one's own personal style, the product you are selling, and the customers that you sell to. Great salespeople know that they must look for the best examples of excellence, and adopt the individual aspects of this that they can use. So what got left out of this list? The two words we've probably heard more often than others to describe salespeople are "aggressive" and "enthusiastic". The first definition in my dictionary for aggressive includes the word hostile in it. I don't know anyone these days who can effectively sell in a hostile manner to their customers. Customers are not enemy territory to be "taken". As for enthusiasm, I believe it has a time and a place. If you run around like a cheer-leader for your company all the time, you'll annoy people, and you probably won't be listening very well. Bottom line is both of these words describe behavior that can destructive to the lifeblood of sales, building and maintaining rapport. © 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved. Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/
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Coaching Dramatically Increase Sales With The KISS Test We've all heard the term KISS at one time or another - "Keep It Simple, Stupid." However, the majority of salespeople violate this basic principle more often than not. Six Simple Steps to Increase Sales and Decrease Stress Have you ever found a lead on a scrap of paper after the prospect purchased from your competition? Are you spending time recreating proposals because you can't find a similar one you wrote a few months ago? Do you run out of the door for an appointment at the last minute because you could not find the brochures you really wanted to take? Are you feeling overwhelmed? If so, here are six simple steps to help you increase sales and decrease stress: The Unmentioned KEY to Selling PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY KNOW, LIKE, & TRUST. PERIOD! 5 Specific Questions Your Sales Letters Must Answer To Achieve The Best Results Here's a surefire method to guarantee you achieve the best results from your sales letters. Rather than make a sales pitch that your prospects will very likely ignore, instead present your products or services as the answer to their problems. Grow Sales Using Image Tactics In my dreams, I envision being the marketing consultant equivalent of Oprah or Tiger Woods. Oprah, for her premise, "You're a woman and only you are responsible for yourself." Tiger Woods, for his ultimate dedication to the game. Respectively, this is what they're known for or what their personal value can be identified as; put another way, this is what their brand identities are. A Simple Sales Strategy: Talk to Yourself! You are about to speak to a potential client, go to a networking meeting or give a presentation. What should you be saying to yourself in those few minutes beforehand? If you spend that time saying what I propose below, you will effortlessly and naturally become very attractive to your potential clients. This approach is very powerful, I promise you. Say What?!? Sales is a Profession? What exactly is the sales profession? Without a common dialogue and context for the sales profession, sales professionals and corporate executives who choose to engage marketing, sales, and customer service functions through a sales effort are often left scratching their heads when it comes to understanding what sales really is. What do we make of the numerous and powerful "How to" concepts defined and implemented within the sales profession? These "How to" concepts are invaluable, but they only define one-half of what is needed to be considered a profession. Without the other half, we're doomed to non-professional status. Let me explain. Date Your Customer! Yes, you heard me right; I said "Date your clients!" Just think about it for a moment-what did you do when you first met your significant other? You probably went through a series of questions so you could find out a little bit more about each other. Next you say something like, "We should go do something sometime." They gave an answer that showed they were interested, and you went forward with the dreaded "Do you want to go out Friday night?" question. Putting yourself totally on the line you felt vulnerable and scared to death! When they said "yes" you breathed a sigh of relief, and started to get to know each other to see if a long-lasting relationship was in order. The Five Most Common Mistakes Salespeople Make Over the decades that I've been involved in sales, I've worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies -- mistakes that salespeople make -- keep surfacing. Here are my top five. See to what degree you (or your sales force) may be guilty of them. Emotions That Sell, Part 2 In the last article, we looked at three emotions (besides fear and greed) that you can use to connect with your prospects and enrich your marketing campaigns. This time, we're digging a little deeper into the sales psyche. See if you can "connect" with these feelings: 7 Quick and Easy Ways To Multiply Your Sales There are always some great, fast and easy ways to multiply your sales without paying more for extra advertisements. Qualifying vs closing The art of effective question asking (qualifying) determines the effectiveness and the success of the "close".EXAMPLE: Let's assume you are a candy sales rep. You sell both chocolate and non-chocolate candy. I'm your potential customer. You know nothing about me but you are trying to sell me chocolate candy. You proceed to tell me how great the candy tastes, how exquisite the texture is, how incredible the quality of the chocolate is, and, by the way, how affordable this candy is because your company is doing a promotion on this outstanding chocolate candy. However, you don't sell me a single piece of chocolate candy. WHY?You assumed I liked chocolate candy and I would buy it based on the information you provided. But the most important thing you forgot to identify or ask me is "do you like chocolate candy?".The answer is "no, I hate chocolate candy?". But since you never took the time to understand me as your potential new customer, you lost today's sale and future sales a well. Better Approach: I'm still the customer, you are still the candy sales rep. You're still promoting chocolate candy. The difference is - upon meeting me and establishing a rapport, your first question might be."Do you like chocolate candy?".My response "no, I never eat chocolate candy".Your response "you never eat chocolate candy, why?".My response "because I'm allergic to it". QUESTION: Do you believe it would make any difference to me, the customer, how the chocolate looks, tastes, is processed, or even how affordable it is? Your answer should be "no". However, just because I don't eat chocolate candy doesn't mean I don't know a number of other people who love chocolate candy. Also, you sell hard candy not just chocolate candy, so maybe the next question would be:"Do you eat any kind of candy?".My response "occasionally".Your response "when you say occasionally, how often is that?".My response "2 to 3 times per month".Your response "when you do eat candy, what type of candy do you eat?"My response "hard-type, mint candies".Your response "have you ever tasted our incredible hard, mint candies?".GET THE PICTURE? "Its all about asking, not selling." Once you have identified what's important to me, the customer, you have positioned yourself to sell me what I want - not what you have. Boost Your Selling Power With Your Call-To-Action Phrases Look at your marketing material. Now, is there something missing? If you are missing a phrase or paragraph requesting your customer's business, your copy is lacking an essential component. You can't assume that your customers will know why they should act, how they should, or when they should act. Are You Doing What It Takes To Win More Sales What does it take to be a WINNER during these challenging times? Do you really know what it takes to win more sales? A Revolutionary NEW Dimension in Sales A Revolutionary 'NEW' Dimension In Sales: Make many more closings in the same amount of time! Sales Training - What Is a Disguised Implied Need? Have you ever been in the position where you are getting, what you think to be, close to concluding the deal only to find your client comes up with objections? What You Can Learn From The Movie Business Maybe everything you need to know you can learn from the movies. A friend of mine is a screenwriter in Los Angeles. Over a glass of wine, we were discussing his business and the nature of the beast in Hollywood. He's a boy from Canada who gave up his much-loved Honda, his life savings, and his broadcasting career to move to Los Angeles to attend the American Film Institute. Not an easy feat in your mid-30s. After 8 years of hard work he is now becoming the new discovery of LA. He said the most difficult thing to adjust to was all the talking. Win More Sales With a 5-Step Sales Process Facilitating the buying process can be very straightforward and fairly uncomplicated. Yet most professionals have no idea what it takes to guide a potential client through a decision making process. They are completely lost when it comes to effective follow-up and unsure how to best get prospects to take the "next step". How Salespeople Can Create Immediate Believability And Credibility It pays to be specific. I believe that statement is true. If it is true, why do so many salespeople pepper their sales presentations with phrases of generalities? There are two primary reasons. One is habit and the other is instinct. Eliminating Objections to Increase Sales You want to increase the flow of sales revenue, but you are stymied by prospects' seemingly endless objections. Prospects say they're not interested. They tell you your price is too high, or this isn't the right time. You've heard all the objections. What can you do to get rid of these once and for all?
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