Sales is an exciting and extremely rewarding career where every day is different. When we recruit for salespeople, we look for confident and driven individuals who are money-motivated and enjoy a challenge.
While it’s important to have the right personality if you want to succeed in sales, there are also plenty of sales techniques and tools that you can learn to really boost your success. Take a look at some of our best advice below.
The key role of any salesperson is to listen to and understand their customers’ challenges before offering solutions. Long-term business relationships are built on trust and customers want to trust that you are offering them valuable solutions and strategic advice as opposed to just selling products/services that aren’t necessarily the best fit.
If you’re just starting out in your sales career, then it’s important to recognise that you have plenty to learn. Take note of how seasoned sales professionals build relationships and don’t overestimate your knowledge and abilities. While you may be keen to hit the ground running, ensure that you are also developing your skills and honing your new craft.
Salespeople also have to learn to be patient with their clients. This is all part of the trust and relationship building process and if you are patient then the revenue will follow.
As a salesperson, you’ll always be aiming to win new customers, boost your revenue and exceed your targets. Don’t be afraid to pick a fight with your biggest competitors. Educate your customers on why your products and services are better and back yourself up with facts, figures and market research.
Sales certainly isn’t an easy career choice and you’re likely to face plenty of obstacles and setbacks in your role. To be a good salesperson, you’ll need to be resilient which means bouncing back when times get tough and focusing on turning things around.
“Comfort is the enemy of progress.” – P.T. Barnum
Salespeople shouldn’t be afraid of a new challenge. If you can see that a certain territory isn’t performing well, volunteer to take it on. Ensure that you are continuously expanding your product knowledge and skills. Recognise your weaknesses and take steps to turn them into strengths.
There are a lot of sales opportunities available and if you’re a good salesperson you shouldn’t be afraid of turning an opportunity down if it doesn’t feel right.
Having a manager who will mentor, develop and invest in your career is extremely important. Your managers should be able to teach you what it takes to succeed in sales and they should support your career progression. If they don’t, it may be time to move on.
You’ll be a better salesperson if you are genuinely passionate about your industry. You should keep up with current trends and events, read about industry changes, keep an eye on your competitors and look out for new sales techniques.
While you’re likely to be given revenue targets at work, you should make an effort to also set your own goals. We recommend using the SMART method to do this. This will help you to continually improve and measure your success.
When it comes to a successful career in sales, you can’t get by with just a smile and natural charm. There’s plenty to learn and many key skills you’ll need to get to grips with if you really want to put yourself on the path to success.
