5 Signs of a Successful Salesperson
If you want to know how some salespeople are more successful than others, and how some just seem to get lucky, then you might think that successful salespeople are born and not created. This isn't necessarily true.
The golfer, Gary Player, was asked about the amount of luck he seemed to have, replied that "the more I practice, the luckier I get"! This can also be used in a sales environment, and will mean that you are always prepared. There's always more to be learnt about the product, industry, and type of customer, no matter what sort of sales environment you work in.
1. A successful salesperson will manage their time effectively so that the majority of their time is spent in selling situations. In a call centre environment this would mean spending almost all the time on the phone. For a commercial salesperson this would mean spending most of the time at appointments in front of potential customers. In a retail environment, this would mean spending time on the shop floor talking to customers.
2. Successful salespeople are able to identify the needs of the customer. They have the communication skills to ask the right sort of questions and listen to the answers. Their extensive product knowledge means that they know which product will best meet the customers' needs. They know what sort of applications their products will be used for, and the most common questions asked. This applies whether selling electrical goods in a retail environment, utilities over the phone, or business to business products and services face to face.
3. Successful salespeople understand the buying process and selling process and can respond accordingly. They can quickly and efficiently see whether the potential customer is ready to buy, or is just doing some research. They are able to pick up on buying signals, and can handle objections well. They are capable of changing their approach depending on the customer, and do not overly rely on one sales...