There are many ways to become a better salesperson, and one of the most successful is to continuously research and work to enhance your skills in small ways. Taking the time each and every day to actively work towards improving yourself and your sales skills, is the best way to increase your level of success in sales. To that end, below are some quick tips and tidbits that you can almost immediately apply to your selling techniques or mindset.
- Be consistent and communicative – don’t leave prospects hanging and waiting to hear from you
- Be enthusiastic. Have a sense of urgency in the way you treat your job and your life. Find ways to bring excitement and enthusiasm to every sale. Richard Branson says, “Boring your customer is worse than pissing them off.” It is incredibly powerful if you can be enthusiastic and happy in spite of your situation or others around you who may be less so.
- With customers, be a chameleon. Adapt to their needs rather than expecting them to adapt to you.
- Be a good listener. Sometimes a customer has had a bad day and just needs to talk about it – let them. Some people want to be listened to more than they want their problems solved.
- Try to avoid arguments. Sometimes you can win the argument, but lose the sale, and being right isn’t always the most important thing.
- Behave ethically at all times. Never sell your customer something you know they don’t need. Expect objections and be sure to have responses for the most common objections, but maintain honesty and integrity in these situations.
- Conquer your “impostor syndrome.” You must let go of the thought that you might be an impostor, or that you don’t deserve greater success. Many of those around you, and even above you, likely have similar feelings about if they “deserve” their success. Once you become comfortable with the idea that you can be successful, you subconsciously open the door to more opportunities for success. Be the master of your destiny – take control of your life and career.
- Set SMART goals. Goals should be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely