In my 20+ years of selling I have closed sales and lost sales. I have built relationships customers that have grown into decade long friendships. I have done a lot of things right and many things I have messed up. But over time, from watching others do it right and wrong, learning from my wins and losses and continuously honing my skills I have worked to identify what I think are the traits of successful sales people.
Let’s take a look at what helps successful sales people stand out in a world of sameness…
1. Successful sales people set goals- I have read that the act of writing down your personal goals for the upcoming year puts you in the top 5% of people in the world. Successful people from all walks of life set goals and create plans to reach or exceed those goals. As sales professionals we should be creating personal goals as well as plans for overachieving our company goals. As the saying goes “What gets measured, gets managed.
2. Successful sales people plan- Many people spend more time planning their week of vacation than they do their next 12 months of their life. Successful people plan. They plan for the next 5 years, 12 months, quarter, month, week and day. They are prepared and they do not go through life or work flying by the seat of their pants. High performers in any area typically are planners. As sales professionals we are no different. We need to be comfortable with the idea of creating a plan and working the plan. If we find our plan needs adjusting then we will regroup and make changes. As a mentor of mine, Mike Shook once told me “A poor plan perfectly executed is better than a perfect plan poorly executed.” Make a plan and don’t expect it to be perfect.
3. Successful sales people are brilliant in the basics- Another lesson I learned early in my career is that you should know your solutions and be able to articulate them in an easy to understand form. If your solution is complex you must be able to explain its value in a simple way. If you can’t do that today I would suggest that you don’t know your solution as well as you think you do. Get to know your solution(s) inside and out. Front to back. Put in the time now, it will pay major dividends for a long time.
4. Successful sales people have clearly defined objectives for every call- They know what needs to be accomplished before they make the next call. They understand the next steps in their process and the customers’ process. If they do not have a clear vision into the customer process they ask. This will make sure expectations are set for the buyer and seller and save much time.
5. Successful sales people are good communicators- Top performers are usually good listeners. They are active listeners that listen for the real message and not just the words. They are seekers of the truth. If they do not clearly understand what the customer is saying they ask for clarification. Trust me, customers would much rather you ask a clarifying question than for you to assume and later find out they have wasted a lot time and energy. Sales pros are also comfortable with silence. They do not rush through presentations just to get them done. They match their pace to the room. This is one key way to demonstrate confidence.
6. Successful sales people clearly understanding before prescribing a solution- Picture yourself at the doctor’s office. You are waiting in the examination room and the doctor walks in and gives you an injection before even asking you what your symptoms are. Would you allow that? I don’t think so but this is what numerous sales people do every day. Make sure you can precisely re-state the real customer issue and get agreement from the customer before you start spouting on about your solution.
7. Successful sales people have real empathy- They sincerely care about the other person. They want good things for their customer and are genuinely concerned about their outcome and well-being. Empathy, or lack of, comes through in our speech and actions. Customers can tell when you are fake and they typically have a low tolerance for it.
8. Successful sales people think long-term- Short term thinking can get you into trouble. If you are overly focused on short term gain it can make you do things you never thought you would. It lends itself to a feeling of desperation and customers can smell it on you. As Coach Michael Burt says “Don’t make a short term decision that has long term consequences.”
9. Successful sales people work from the customers’ perspective- Top sales pros believe in their heart that they can solve a problem, present a solution and make a situation better than the way they found it. These skills should put them on par with their clients. They sincerely think of themselves as a problem solver that is not afraid to challenge the customer. True sales professionals are worthy of respect equal to that of their customers
10. Successful sales people are prepared for objections- Let’s be realistic. Your product or solution is not going to fit every prospect. However, you will encounter objections or questions regarding how or why your product is the best selection. Be prepared. Work on well-crafted HONEST responses to the top 5-10 objections you have or expect to hear. This will give you and your customer confidence in your answer. This is not so you can pull the wool over someone’s eyes. This is to allow you to be professional and confident in your honest reply.
11. Successful sales people are not afraid to talk about money- This can be a scary topic for a salesperson who lacks experience in these conversations. As long as your price is fair for the solution you are offering you should not have any qualms discussing money when the time is right. The customer has a problem. Your solution is there to fix the problem and you are making the customer’s company and life better. Companies expect to pay for something of value. Don’t be afraid.
12. Successful sales people always clarify the next steps- Just as you should go into each meeting with clear objectives you should leave understanding what happens next. Each encounter is about moving the ball down field. It is a best practice to recap the actions due from each party and to attach a timeline to those actions. Be very transparent on the expectations and get agreement from your client. However, you must be prepared to complete your tasks and assignments on time. Being late on your next steps sends the wrong message that other things are more important.
Finally, we don’t define successful sales people by their commission. We define them by repeat customers, integrity, the ability to have the hard conversations with your customer because you really do have their best interest at heart. If you do these things you will be a successful sales person and the commissions will follow.