Becoming a great salesperson is hard work and requires continued efforts throughout a career. But there are certain traits all wildly successful salespeople can identify with. Today we’re going to take you through five characteristics that make the difference between good salespeople and great ones.
While working hard is absolutely essential, it’s also important to work smart. Use our short guide to start working smarter and become a better salesperson.
Characteristics Successful Salespeople Swear By
Be thoughtful about what can contribute to your success and then focus your energy on those areas. Remember, the definition of a great salesperson is a successful one. So bear in mind these skills.
1. Able to Disqualify
Every customer is not a good customer. Successful salespeople can identify, early on, if a customer is right for them or not. Rather than wasting time and energy trying to convince someone who isn’t the right fit to buy, the best salespeople cut their losses and move on to the next prospect.
2. Tap into Networks
After you close a deal, you’re establishing a relationship with the customer. Average salespeople will take the win and promptly go after the next prospect; a great salesperson will turn to their new customer and use this leverage towards their success. Use your existing customers to connect you to new prospects and never make another cold call again. The importance of networking can never be overstated!
3. Able to Diagnose
A great salesperson is an excellent listener, and they listen to every single detail about their customers’ problems. So rather than pitching, they prescribe. A successful salesperson will use their listening skills to diagnose a problem and prescribe a solution, which establishes them as an authoritative expert in the eyes of the customer.
4. Never Appear Desperate
This is a skill that requires a lot of attention, because if you play it the wrong way, you can come off looking really bad to prospects. You always want to appear confident and secure in your meetings with prospects, no matter what your real situation is. If your prospect doesn’t feel the pressure that you NEED their business, they’ll likely be more inclined to trust you.
5. Follow a Buyer Persona
If you want an effective (and successful) sales process, you need a clearly defined buyer persona. Doing this will make it easier to establish an effective prospecting approach. When you have a set buyer persona, you know who you’re selling to, what the best tactics are, and you can guarantee you have a good match every time. This helps you become a great salesperson – one who can effectively use a sales playbook to become successful.
Becoming great at sales isn’t impossible if you work hard to incorporate a few, or all, of these five characteristics into your approach. And as we said, knowing and using your company’s sales playbook is key. On top of that you want to find out and do all the things top sales performers are thinking as they work, in order to stay ahead of the competition!
TAKEAWAY:
360 Can Help Your Sales Team Succeed
Would you like to learn more about how to develop your sales skills? At 360, we have many years of experience in sales and sales consulting – and can help you see where your team can improve in order to keep your competitive edge. We can also help you get the right people on your team to rev up your sales engine and increase your ROI! What’s not to love?
If you’re ready to supercharge your sales, take the first step by contacting us today!