Salespeople Skills

Image Source:brainshark.com

 

Building a successful career as a salesperson can be hard today, as the competition is only getting stronger. However, this career path can be extremely rewarding, with a few tips and tricks to improve your skills.

 

Check out these facts that anybody willing to be the most successful of salespeople should know! Secure your space in the 8% of salespeople that get 80% of the sales!

 

Gain The Trust Of Your Client To Close More Sales!

 

Gaining the trust of your potential clients will help you close more sales! This has been proven over the years an efficient way to create a solid relationship, especially in B2B sales. It can seem easy, but it has been found very challenging by the majority of salespeople.

 

Here are three aspects found essential in building trust:

 

Capability: know everything about the product you are selling and the market you are selling it into.

Dependability: do everything you can to make your client comfortable. Adjust your plans and schedule around his or her availability. 

Integrity: do the right thing! This not only helps to build trust but also respect. Your buyer will be willing to listen to you more openly.

Don’t forget that only 19% of buyers have reported trusting salesman. The rest doesn’t! Start building your skills now to get in the high-flying percentage of salespeople.

 

Data Source: rainsalestraining.com

 

Only 2% Of The Sales Happen At The First Meeting, So Persistence Is Key!

 

A large number of studies and statistics have proven that buyers need a lot of patience to be convinced. The majority of the sales actually happen after the fifth meeting, so perseverance is a key to join the pool of successful salespeople.

 

Check out these numbers to know why many salespeople fail:

 

Almost half of salesmen or saleswomen don’t follow up after the first meeting with a prospect. Only 2% of the sales are made at this point.

A quarter of salespeople drops the relationship after the second contact. Keep in mind that only 3% of the sales are made at the second meeting.

Only 10% of salespeople have the perseverance to follow up after the fourth meeting. This increases their chance of closing a sale 10 to 80%.

No being in a rash and follow up after the third call can really increase your chances of success up to 80%!

 

Data Source: venturebeat.com

 

Define Your Effective Sales Process And Your Buyer Persona

 

To conclude a sale, you will need to be clear on two things: how do you sell your product and who you are selling it to. Your strategy will need to be adapted to your buyer persona to be efficient. Let’s have a look in more detail.

 

Sales strategy: Your selling strategy should have a recurring and reliable structure that will need to be reviewed and adapted with experience. This system will help you maintain assertiveness throughout the sales process. However, this isn’t a static strategy as you will be dealing with different people and personalities continuously. 

 

Buyer persona: 71% of the most successful companies have a buyer persona and adapt their strategies around it. A buyer persona is a profile of the characteristics of your target market. In this way, you will be able to identify its traits and motivations and how to persuade them.

 

Data Source: blog.hubspot.com

 

A Client Makes Up His Mind In 30 Seconds, So Look Sharp!

 

First impressions are incredibly important, especially among salespeople, to beat the competition! First impressions often stay with the client throughout the process and remember than only 19% of them will trust you! Customers make up their minds in the first few seconds of your meeting. 

 

These tips will help you get this right! 

 

Credibility: here is where your expertise and experience will be essential. If you are new in the field use a deep knowledge of the product and your business to impress clients.

Create an emotional connection:offer complete attention to your clients and his needs. Empathize with their point of view, ask questions about their interests and support these progresses.

Logic: showcase the reasons why your idea or product should interest them. Make use of your problem-solving skills and bring statistics, facts, and studies that support your point in your speech.

Data Source: salesforce.com

 

Train Yourself To Communicate Efficiently. And Don’t Forget Your Body Language!

 

The communication process is what really is going to make a difference between a positive and negative outcome. Especially during the first meeting, you will need to try and create a positive impression and bring your client to believe in you. Keep in mind that body language represents over half of communication, so train yourself in this art!

 

Body language does not only include facial expression and handshake, but also other factors that you might not know of! For example, your posture will be giving an impression of openness to debate or friendliness. It can also make a difference between portraying confidence or arrogance, so it is important to get it right!  

 

Emphasize your first impression with a sharp and professional look and a smiley attitude. Both you and your client will be making subconscious decisions continuously! Like all successful salespeople, keep your appearance and attitude perfect throughout the meeting!

 

Data Source: salesforce.com

 

Observe and Analyse Before Starting with Your Sales Strategy

 

Dealing with each client will be a completely different experience every time and being able to analyse the situation beforehand will increase your chances of success.

 

It is important for salespeople to understand the motivations and characteristics of each individual customer to come up with an efficient strategy. Keep in mind that the more you know, the smoother the process will be!

 

Knowing about your client‘s experience and interests is essential. It’s not always possible to gather all the information you would like to have before the first meeting but knowing enough will help you decide what to base your strategy on.

Know about the product you are sellingand the industry situation. This will add credibility to your points. If you are selling custom enamel pins, then learn all about future trends and demand and you will be successful!

Data Source: salesforce.com

 

And If “No” Is The Answer? Have A New Strategy!

 

Are you ready to receive a few nos? Well, you should be! Many salespeople have reported that getting a prospect is potentially the hardest part of the sales process. Moreover, over time has become more difficult for salespeople to execute their strategy as many potential clients wouldn’t even accept to meet up.

 

In this case, be ready to have a new strategy and learn more about the background of your client and product then proceed to the second call. As we have seen in this article, no sales are made with the first contact, so keep going! The more you are able to get in touch with the client the more he will know you and trust you.

 

Data Source: blog.hubspot.com

 

Don’t Miss Out On Social Media Opportunities!

 

Face to face meetings has always been considered the most efficient way to communicate and promote your product or brand. However today with the expanding number of social media platforms, these channels can be seen as an equally effective tool. Keep in mind that many companies and salespeople have admitted not using social media at all within their sales strategy.

 

You Can Showcase Your Product in Other Ways

Photos can help with presenting your product efficiently. Moreover, assuming that you are using social media as part of a larger marketing strategy that is already designed to convince potential new buyers, you are already halfway through!

 

Both You and Your Client Know What the Market Opinion Is

How? Comments and likes of course! Studies have found that word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to convince new customers to buy. In this way, you can show how much the product is already liked or used, as well as your customer service skills.

 

Data Source: spotio.com

 

Emails Are Powerful! Learn How to Write Them Well!

 

Did you know that the average person receives more than 140 emails a day? And not even half of these are opened by the recipient. This is why salespeople should learn a few tricks to make a good first impression through a sales pitch email.

 

Firstly, the subject line should not be vague and directly connected with the body and objective of the email. Use the name of a common acquaintance or motivation. 

 

The body of the email should present a problem and the solution that your product would offer. The conclusion and signature should be personal, never general.

 

Data Source: spotio.com

 

Training Is Key to Grow A Team of Efficient Salespeople

 

Over 55% of salespeople have reported being unhappy with their training and felt that they initially weren’t ready for the job. However, studies found that being trained by an expert salesperson can increase the chances of closing satisfying deals with new clients.

 

Check out these statistics to understand the importance of proper training in this industry:

 

Over 50% of buyers reported that they weren’t able to gather informative answers from a sales rep

There is a lack of training retention among salespeople 

Over 80% of B2B decision-makers said that sales rep wasn’t prepared for the meeting

55% of sales rep lack basic selling and communication skills

To be in the 8% of salespeople that close 80% of the sales, you will need to understand the importance of training. If the company you are working for isn’t willing to provide any, there are internet courses available for you!

 

Data Source: spotio.com

 

A Career in Sales Is Not for Everyone but Can Be Very Rewarding

 

The majority of salespeople that conduct their jobs successfully intended to start a career in this sector. This means that commitment to this job is key to start a sustainable and profitable career.

 

While some of these professionals have natural communication and selling skills, anybody can be successful as a sales rep. However, this takes years of training in the field and commitment to learning from past mistakes.

 

The ability to adapt and communicate differently depending on the type of client that is in front of you will improve your chances of closing a satisfying sale!

 

Data Source: spotio.com

 

Sell Your Expertise Rather Than Your Product

 

Ultimately, remember that your client has been working and living without your product so far. While it could improve their profitability or efficiency, often there is not an actual need for new innovation in their businesses. Therefore what you and other salespeople are selling isn’t the product but your expertise.

 

Convince your prospects to trust you and listen to your offer. Learning to communicate effectively has been proven to be a key point in the creation of a trusting relationship. But don’t forget that what you are trying to do is solving a problem.

 

To prove to your client that their problem will be solved, try to define what their problem is. This can only be done by studying their business. Then apply your problem-solving skills and follow up with how your product is the best one to make their life easier!

 

Data Source: artplusmarketing.com

 

Bottom Line

 

While many studies have disagreed that selling is an art, there are soft skills that you need to have to start off your career. However, afterward, the key to being successful is to identify potential opportunities that others have missed. This and proper training will get you up with 8% of salespeople that get 80% of the sales.

 

Are you a sales rep? Did you find these tips helpful? Are there some suggestions you would like to share with the new salespeople? Leave us a comment below and let us know!