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With over 20 years of experience in the sales and marketing field, across a multitude of different industries, I've learned so much about an area of business that, at first glance, might seem easy to master.
I've learned a lot from the incredible people I've worked with, the generous managers I've worked under and even from clients I've had to privilege to deal with.
All of those experiences over 2 decades, both positive and negative, have shown me that, when it comes to selling and becoming a great salesperson, there are 7 skills I think you can learn to enhance your own skill set when negotiating your next deal.
How To Become A Great Salesperson
Despite what many people think, being a skilled salesperson isn't something you're born with. Whilst I agree that having strong social skills and a naturally friendly demeanour will help, most of the most successful salespeople I've met got there through two things; hard work and practice.
As more and more people use the online space to buy and sell, the art of a good sale might be becoming a lost art, but there will also be a place for a skilled salesperson, especially if you're working in B2B or service-based industry, like us.
For one of our first blogs on our new website, I wanted to take a look at the 7 steps, I think, you can take to become a not just great salesperson, but an AMAZING salesperson. Let's start with:
1. Do Your Homework
Whether you're dealing with people on the phone or meeting them face-to-face, knowing who's on the other side of the negotiating table will go a long way to closing that sale.
Before you dial their number or show up at their office, try and do some research on who they are. What's their story? Is there information on them on their company's website? Are they on LinkedIn? What's their career history? What are they interested in, both professionally and personally?
Trying to paint a mental picture of who you're talking to by taking just 5 or 10 minutes to do a little homework on them will pay off. If you can find that common interest, a shared connection or even a mutual friend gives you information to drop into the conversation.
This little bit of preparation shows that you've done your due diligence on them and the company will help you understand their pain points and you'll be better placed to offer them a solution.
2. Learn To Read People
Once you've made that initial content and used your homework to create that rapport with them, you've only just got your foot in the door. There's a long way to go before you complete that sale.
If knowing the product or service you're selling is one part of the puzzle, learning to read the person opposite is definitely another.
From the minute you first speak to them up to the time you spend once you've met them, you should start learning to read them. You can even find this in any email correspondence you have had.
You can learn some of their personality even from the style of their email or their tone of voice on the phone.
Does their voice sound jovial? Did they ask how you were? Do they sound engaged? All these traits tend to show someone who is more relaxed which means you can be less formal (that doesn't mean unprofessional!).
If you're meeting in person, how do they look? Are they well turned out? Smart with an expensive pressed suit? Did they arrive on time? If this structured formality is part of your product, then build it into your pitch and focus on those aspects.
Ultimately, you're looking to build a relationship with these people and a big part of that is trust. Understanding and utilising these personality traits can give you a powerful hint about who they are and what they value.
3. Understand Body Language
Building on what we've learned so far, what they say isn't only about the words that come out of their mouth. Body language, yours included, has a part to play in making a sale in terms of thoughts and motivations.
For example, what they say verbally might be at odds with what their body is saying. They might be nodding at your pitch, but sitting with their arms firmly folded. This might mean the trust between you isn't there yet, they just don't believe what you're saying or you're the 10th person they've met that day.
The more you understand, the more you have to ability to alter your conversation to break down those barriers and stand out.
You can also try a technique called mirroring designed to non-verbally illicit empathy through your connection. Basically, you do what they do.
If they cross their legs, you cross your legs. They lean back, you lean back. The thought is that, on some sub-conscious level, you're on the same level. Try and be subtle when doing it, however, or it might look a bit weird!
4. Listen
Sales can feel like it's more of a talking competition when it comes to closing a deal. Talking incessantly with your well-rehearsed speech might have worked 20+ years ago, but listening is far more critical to the best salespeople.
Obviously, you need to appraise the potential client of the benefits brought by the thing you're selling, or the service you're providing.
They need to trust that what you're saying is true to get money from them and while selling from a script might be fine, chances are it's generic and won't help you in every situation.
To close a sale, you need to know what problems they have, what issues their current supplier (if there is one) is causing and what pain points they're feeling. You won't know any of this without listening to them.
By all means, share the benefits of what working with you will bring them, but these shouldn't just have been written by your marketing team, but by listening to what they say and replying thoughtfully.
After all, they can get a list of features from the sales materials or your website, so use this time to really listen and engage with them and leave the formulaic script to one side.
5. Be Transparent
Sales teams don't always benefit from a perfect reputation when it comes to techniques. We've all heard stories of slimy salespeople or using underhand techniques to close that sale.
This stereotype often signals an inherent, predisposed distrust of sales, businesses and brands, no matter how clean-cut or honest they are.
I've certainly seen my fair share of unscrupulous tactics over the years but one thing I have learned is that honesty, clarity and professionalism from salespeople will ALWAYS win the day. With that in mind, it's important to be transparent with your leads.
The internet has given us so many incredible benefits over the years and one of the most valuable is the ability to look into almost any subject.
This will mean that your customers will probably be well aware of your product including its price, where it comes from, how it's made and what it does.
So, if they ask a question about it and you don't know, say you don't know, that you'll find out and get back to them.
Don't make it up or lie outright. Be honest about the product or service and how your company makes or provides it. One lie, or even an exaggeration, will send them running into the arms of your competitor.
A quick search on the internet will soon help them find out who that is!
6. Email Etiquette
With the ubiquity of the internet and particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are conducting their business online, either through emails, video calls or just using the telephone. If email plays a big part in how you generate leads and make sales, this one's for you!
Email as a form of communication can be the difference between making or breaking a sale. When you literally only have the words and tone of an email to go on, it can be harder to create that all-important rapport. Hard, but not impossible.
You might think that the words on an email mean you can't read anything about the sender, but you'd be wrong. Obviously, visual body language isn't going to be an option, but the composition of an email can reveal just as much and it's something you can use to your advantage.
In the early stages of this relationship, it's often all business, but gradually you can create some rapport between you. Whatever their style of writing is, mimic it. If it's short and sweet, make your replies short and sweet.
If they have a much more detailed, formal style, then make sure you replicate that too. If they're spent time crafting a long email, don't reply with a short, sharp answer. Take your time to reply.
When it's appropriate, share some personal details. If you're sending it on a Monday, ask if they had a good weekend or if there's a celebration coming up (Christmas, Halloween, Hanukkah, Eid, Easter, etc.) politely ask if they have any plans. Remember you're not trying to stalk them, so keep it light and above all else, professional.
7. Find The Humour
Whilst we're all playing a role in this life, whether you're a salesperson and client or an employer and employee, we're all just people. We feel the same and share the same (or at least similar) goals in life.
Sure sales can be a dog-eat-dog world and for sure it can be pressured to close a sale or hit your targets, but when it comes down to it, you and your client are both human beings.
As you build that relationship that may well last for many years, finding something that connects you will go a long way to forging that path. Humour is a great way to forge that connection with someone.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." - Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)
Sharing an appropriate joke with them to break the ice or fill an awkward silence can be a great leveller. A quick-witted reply to a question always helps bring a smile.
You'll feel more comfortable and so will they and from there, who knows where it will lead.
We'd love to know what you think. What do you think makes a good salesperson? What qualities do salespeople show you that convince you to buy from them? We'd love to know the bad traits too! Let us know in the comments below.
If any of this blog has given you some value or knowledge, please consider buying me a virtual coffee using the link below. Give it your best shot ;-)
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