Sunday, December 13, 2009

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 situtions. 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 technique, or product feature. Depending on the environment and the product or service offered, the customer may already be a qualified lead just by walking through the door, or by emailing for a brochure.4. Successful salespeople are able to put their customer at ease, and are able to show genuine interest, rather than just looking for the sale. At some time, everyone has experienced a pushy salesperson that didn't listen, didn't ask questions, and just wanted to make the sale. This sort of behaviour can change the customer's opinion of the shop, the brand or even the industry, and can result in fewer sales.5. Successful salespeople know that they need to be highly efficient, effective and organised. They know that they need to have a full diary of appointments, and how many sales they need to reach their target. They will always be busy trying to generate leads, or finding out more about their products, industry or customers.Now you know how and why some salespeople are much more successful than others, why don't you implement these 5 tips and see if you can improve your figures? Become a more successful salesperson today.

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