Whether you’re a sales representative on the road or a sales executive managing a team working on closing a variety of business deals, there are some key elements that are making you successful at what you do. Given my years of experience, I get the question all the time….what makes a good sales person?
Being a good sales person is honestly an exercise of human interaction and the courtship process changes if you are doing direct sales versus consultative selling. However, in order to satisfy those asking me the question, I have started to put together an ongoing list of tricks of the trade I have found on the web as well as come up with on my own. The goal of these is to make them relevant no matter what kind of selling you are doing.
A good sales person is one who builds relationships: Building a bond of mutual trust and understanding between you and your client is key to making sure they are getting what you need and you are getting repeat business. Don’t forget, you may work alone in your territory, but your customers can be your greatest sales force if you take care of them.
A good sales person answers his/her phone: People get so frustrated with automated answering machines yet, their use is so prevalent, getting a human being on the phone can actually be an innovative element that give you a competitive advantage. It is also important to show clients that you care and that they are not just a number. We all hate being numbers.
A good sales person does not make promises he/she can’t keep: An honest sales person and managing expectations are two very important components when managing clients. Remember, clients refer those they trust.
A good sales person listens to their customers: Take a moment to get to know your customers personally and then give them an appropriate response. Listen to what your customer has to say, know what they like and what they don’t, and support that two way communication that leads to long term rapport.
A good sales person deals with complaints head on: While no one likes complaints, it is important as a good sales person to deal with them head on. This shows your customers that you are proactive and that you are concerned about them.
A good sales person is helpful, even if there is nothing to gain : It is very important that you are helpful even if there is nothing to gain. This makes a customer feel special and will also help foster a stronger customer relationship.
A good sales person is always an expert: A sales person may not know everything, but he or she needs to know their product or service from the inside out. Clients are looking for that confidence in what you are selling.
A good sales person take s the initiative or goes the extra mile: A good sales person takes the initiative. What this means is that if your customer asks you for something, don’t just show them only that. Encourage them to see similar things and provide them with a variety of choice. Also always go the extra mile. If your client is a regular customer offer them a discount or some sort of rebate on the items they have purchased.
