5 Essential Skills for Sales Professionals
There are a million different distractions in sales, so it's easy to feel pulled this way and that. It seems you can't turn off your phone or take two steps without getting a - new email alert! Your boss needs some input on how they want us to do better next quarter... but wait: if we're not careful about investing time into building ourselves as professionals, then these interruptions will only serve as nuisances rather than help evolve who YOU really ARE deep down inside where success lies."
This episode teaches you five essential skills to become a top performer.
In This Episode You Will Learn About:
· 5 Essential Skills for Sales Performers
“To reach the next level in your career, you must never stop learning”- Danielle Cobo
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Want To Be A Top Performing Sales Person? Make Sure You're Focusing On These Five Essential Skills.
To be successful in sales starts by adopting a growth mindset and continuously investing in personal development. You can't grow without learning first! That's why it is essential to invest in your personal career growth. To achieve the next level in your career, personal development never stops!
In sales, you have to think and approach your business like a business owner. It's easy to feel like you're being pulled in a million different directions. You're bombarded with so many distractions, it's hard to keep focused on what really matters in life and business - namely making an impactful difference while building your business!
I experienced success first hand going from clothes stored in trash bags to leading a team for a Fortune 500 company. I spent 15 years in medical sales, earning four back-to-back Presidents’ Circle as an individual contributor, and led the historically poorest performing sales team to #1 in the nation within two years. As a Career coach focused on career acceleration, sales performance, and company culture, I've taught thousands how to achieve the same success through one-on-one coaching, corporate workshops, and speaking engagements. It doesn’t matter where you are on your journey- you can achieve the same success when you invest in your personal development and stay committed to your goals.
Here are five essential skills all salespeople ought to be developing to be successful.
Confidence
Lack of confidence is a common issue that can hold people back from achieving their goals. Confidence is essential for success in any field, but it can be challenging to overcome and maintain. It can feel like you're stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and fear. Everyone has the potential to be confident when you have the skills and strategies you need to identify and overcome your limiting beliefs. Your ability to transform your self-doubt into drive, motivation & confidence relies upon you identifying & overcoming limiting beliefs. Learning these tools is the key to success and happiness in all areas of your life.
Strategic Business Planning
Salespeople are constantly looking for ways to be more successful, and it's no secret that having a well-thought-out business plan is key to success in sales, but it can be hard to know where to start or how to quantify your results. It's not enough to just work hard in sales. Without a clear plan of action, you're likely to spin your wheels and not make much progress. You need a process to help you focus on what's important and get measurable results. Strategic business planning is the key to success in sales. By analyzing what's worked in the past and setting SMART (Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals, then you will know precisely what it takes to achieve your targets and, with a focused plan, achieve work-life balance is within your reach! When you have an accountability partner you're 60% more likely to achieve your goals.
Resilence
Sales is a tough business. You're constantly rejected and have to keep going even when you feel down. It's easy to get discouraged in sales. Most people give up after a few rejections, but that's where the real winners separate themselves from the pack. Resiliency is key to success in sales. It's not about how many times you get knocked down, it's about how quickly you get back up and keep going. Successful salespeople are adaptable and never give up on themselves. When you have the tools to be resilient and turn your life's biggest challenges into your greatest strength, you can weather any storm.
Adaptability
Sales is an unpredictable field. You never know what's going to happen in a meeting or during a sales call. One of the things that make sales so unpredictable is the fact that companies are always changing. They might be expanding, downsizing, changing key strategic initiatives, launching new products, or discontinuing products. This can make it difficult for salespeople to keep up and be prepared for anything. Adaptability is essential for any successful salesperson. By being able to adapt to any situation, you'll be better equipped to handle whatever comes your way. You've probably been in a situation where you weren't sure how to handle a request from a customer, and it threw you off your game. Even worse, this can lead to losing the sale. This can be difficult when you're unsure what the customer wants or how they want it delivered. Sales reps need to be able to adapt on the fly in order to meet the needs of their customers. With adaptability training, you'll learn how to handle any situation that comes up during a sales call or meeting. You'll know how to read your customer, understand their needs, and deliver what they're looking for--even if it's something you haven't done before.
Communication
It's no secret that good communication skills are essential for success in sales, but many people struggle with this. Salespeople often make the mistake of leading with product features and benefits without taking the time to understand customer pain points. This can lead to miscommunication and lost sales opportunities. Being concise on the solution to address their exact needs is key to good communication. Active listening also helps build trust and credibility with potential buyers. The framework to set yourself up for success is
Ask questions to uncover needs and pain points
Listen and withhold yourself from listening to immediately respond.
Clarify that you understand their pain points and goals
Explore with additional questions. Typically, the third objection is when you get the core of the problem.
Acknowledge their concerns and any objections
Respond with solutions to address their immediate needs.
Adopting a growth mindset and continuous investment in your personal development will set you for success to thrive in sales and achieve your goals. Never stop learning!
* If you are a top performer and want to be featured in the Top Performers Spotlight, message me on LinkedIn.
Meet Danielle
Danielle is an award-winning Career and Sales, Performance Coach. She's spent 15 years in sales, earning four back-to-back Presidents’ Circle as an individual contributor, and led the historically poorest performing sales team to #1 in the nation for a Fortune 500 company. Danielle is the host of the “Dream Job with Danielle Cobo” podcast.
