professional sales

Successful salesmanship is a skill that is honed and practiced. There really is no such thing as a “born salesperson”. There are people who are more comfortable talking to others, but sales skills are not embedded in anyone’s DNA. That “Great Salesman” who sold you your car or your television or your watch did not succeed by osmosis. However, there is no secret to becoming a successful sales professional. In fact, the steps are quite clear and simple. The challenge is to practice them and conquer your fear of rejection.

Probably the biggest challenge a sales professional faces is how to deal with rejection. No one in sales is perfect. In fact, they tell us no MUCH more often than they tell us yes. That is a reality. Keep in mind that if you are a sales professional and you are behaving professionally, your prospect is saying no to the product you are offering. NEVER TAKE IT PERSONALLY. A classic adage and comparison is that the great Hall of Famer Babe Ruth had (and has) many batting records: most home runs, most hits, etc. He also holds another rather interesting record: the most times he’s struck out. There is no professional baseball player who has a lifetime batting average of 1,000. In fact, no one has a .500 record. The best players averaged one hit out of three attempts. In other words, they failed 2 out of 3 times. So don’t let rejection stop you.

Sales is a numbers game. always has been. The simple truth is: the more people you can talk to, the more people you’ll close. I define “close” as the actual action on the part of the seller to physically ask for the sale/money. The more times you close, the greater your chances of selling. If you are afraid to ask for the sale, you will NEVER get one.

A very important factor to keep in mind is that as a seller you should always ASSUME THE SALE. Let’s face it, if YOU can’t get excited about the product you’re selling, why should your prospect be? If you don’t wholeheartedly believe that what you’re offering is the BEST thing since sliced ​​bread, your prospect probably won’t either. Enthusiasm is contagious, so pass it on to your customer. On the other hand, so is apathy, and no one takes action when in that state of mind.

Never be afraid to talk to people, if only to keep your conversation and people skills sharp. I have a personal habit of always making small talk with cashiers, waiters/waitresses, other customers, etc. Even if it’s for a minute or less, being able to strike up a conversation with a stranger and make them feel comfortable talking to you is a powerful asset when you’re in a sales presentation. You don’t have to be actively looking for new prospects when you do this, but then again, you never know where a certain conversation might lead.

Lastly, always be a very good LISTENER. Everybody likes to talk. Truth be told, if you are known as someone who will listen and listen to what other people say to you, you will not only be known as a very good conversationalist, but people will actually ENJOY talking and being with you. You really don’t have to be the one saying the most to be the one controlling the conversation. Asking a question and then really hearing what the other person answers keeps you in control and also builds on your mannerisms and popularity. A rule of thumb to remember in sales is: people buy from people they like and trust.

See you at the top.

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