The first thing to remember is that simply put, no one is perfect. There are always going to be ways that someone can improve and be better. The interesting and exciting part of a sales job, or career, is that you can always find ways to improve yourself.
There are plenty of different characteristics that help to propel someone to be a better salesman or saleswoman. Some may be better at closing, some may excel in building rapport, while some may be strong at cold calling. Everyone has a strength, but better yet, everyone has something that they can improve on!
Here are 5 different things that anyone can do to be better at sales, in no particular order.
1. Improve your listening.
This is one of the simplest tools that any salesperson can have. Listen to the customer or client that you are trying to sell to. Hear their rejections and understand what they are truly saying to you. If you are selling something that everyone can benefit from, listen to their reasons why they don’t want your product and understand why they believe they don’t.
If you hear someone explaining why they don’t need your product, while giving you specific examples of why that may mean that they are knowledgable enough to know that they don’t need it. If they are simply saying “no” just because, they may need a little push along. Use your ears to understand what their objections are truly saying. It’s something simple you should be doing anyway!
2. Be early to everything.
This is something that everyone should not have to be taught.
Being early is being on time and being on time is late.
This is one of the few things that we can control almost all of the time. Granted, there are going to be truly extenuating circumstances, but 99.9% of the time, we control our own destiny when it comes to being early. Whether you need to fly, take a bus, train, or drive, always allow yourself time to get there early.
3. Know your product.
Whether you are selling shampoo or cloud-based computer systems, you have to know your product. I can’t stress that enough. You need to know everything about your product, the ins and outs, the strengths, and the potential weaknesses. There is nothing more detrimental to a salesperson than not being able to answer any and all questions about your product. Who wants to buy from someone that doesn’t know everything about it? Not me.
4. Put your customer first.
Congratulations, you made a sale. Now, do you want to benefit from that sale year after year? Make sure that you put your customer first and listen to their needs and wants. You will always come into contact with the overbearing customer, but you will always have the hands-off customer too. Making sure that you are putting the needs of your customer first, you will help to increase your chances of having a lifelong customer.
5. Be prepared.
Yes, this is somewhat similar to knowing your product, but being prepared revolves around all of that. You not only have to know your product, but you have to know your customer. Know their demographic, know their business, and know their industry. Knowledge is power, and that power will translate to a sale! This information is something that can very easily be found by web searches. Understanding all aspects of both your own business, and your potential customers’ business will never guarantee a sale, but it will make sure that you are in front of the rest!
Know yourself!
All of these tools are simple, and on top of that…FREE! It doesn’t cost you anything to listen, be early, be prepared, put your customer first, or know your product. All that costs is time. If you put in the work and the effort to make sure that you have these tools covered before your sales meeting, you will have a leg up on your competition.
Sales aren’t about driving the fancy car, having an expensive suit, or wearing the fancy watch. Sales are all about being able to connect with your potential customer, and finding ways to help them benefit from your product. Using these free tools will help to push your sales goals to another level.