Personality plays a significant role in success as a salesperson. However, that doesn’t negate the importance of skills development and continuous improvement. There’s always room to develop and grow. Here are six essential tips for becoming a better salesperson, even if it doesn’t come naturally to you.
Know Your Product
The first trick in becoming a successful salesperson is knowing the product backward, forward, and upside down. You should know everything about the product regarding specs and user experience. The best way to learn about the product is to try it yourself.
Knowing the product helps you stay in the conversation. There’s always a possibility that someone will ask you a question you don’t have the answer for. However, the more you know, the more streamlined the conversation will be.
Know Your People
Knowing your target market and customer motivations is as important as knowing the product. A great salesperson knows that people don’t buy products; they buy solutions. People who purchase hair dye aren’t buying a brand or color; they’re buying confidence and beauty. People who buy a boat aren’t buying a vehicle; they’re buying memories of summers on the lake.
Know what problem your customers are trying to solve by purchasing your product and sell that solution to them. Knowing the product is about memorizing the features. Knowing your people is about understanding the product’s value. Read more about How Redesigning Your Product Packaging Increases Sales Volume?
Know Your Data
Take some time to review your performance by analyzing your data. Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) will help you identify sticking points in your sales process and set strategic goals and objectives to overcome them.
One relevant sales KPI example would be your conversion rate. How many leads become paying customers? Measuring sales cycle time (time required to close a deal) and sales slip rate (percentage of deals that don’t close during the period) can also be telling. Sales managers typically track this information. However, understanding your data can help you stay the course and excel in your role.
Know How to Listen
Most of the sales process is listening to the customer. The speaking portion is just a small percentage of selling. Customers want to feel heard and valued. They want their questions answered without feeling sold to. Learning the art of active listening is an invaluable skill for salespeople. Some key elements of active listening include:
- giving full attention to the customer
- indicating attention through body language
- asking clarifying questions
- summarizing details back to them
- deferring judgment
- mirroring their tone and sentiments
Active listening takes practice, but it’s well worth the effort in sales.
Know When to Collaborate
When you’re on a sales team or working for a company, success is shared. It’s important to know when to put your team or the organization ahead of yourself. Work to build a connection with your team. Offer support and be a resource to them. Learn from them and share your learnings with them. An opportunity to collaborate is an opportunity to expand your skills.
Know When to Give Up
As the song goes, “you’ve got to know when to walk away, know when to run.” While giving up seems contradictory, it’s sometimes more valuable than continuous efforts.
Not every potential customer is right for your product or business. Understand that time spent chasing impossible customers could be spent on qualified leads who could benefit from your offering. Use these guidelines to become a better, more successful salesperson. With time and effort, you’ll find your flow.
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