Highly successful sales people have developed success habits that have helped them achieve great feat as sales professionals. In the last edition, we discussed that highly successful sales people set SMART sales goals and are success-driven and highly emotional intelligent. Let us look at the four other habits of highly successful sales professionals.
Relationship
Incredibly successful sales professionals have excellent interpersonal skills. They have mastered great social skills. They build a solid relationship with their customers. They show empathy, care and understanding towards their customers. Highly successful sales executives have learnt how to identify their customers’ behavioural traits and adjust themselves to adapt as required. They have a listening ear and go the extra mile to show their customers that they have their best interest at heart.
Selling is people’s business and having a satisfying relationship with your customers significantly affects sales performance. Therefore, real sales professionals develop a good relationship with their customers. They are customer-focused and service oriented. They believe in customer’s satisfaction and experience. In this light, customers trust them, believe them and they are always willing to do business with them.
Be kind, nice and humble, it pays. Build a satisfying relationship with your customers. Show genuine care and understanding towards your clients. Always be interested in their progress. Share ideas that will help them or their business to thrive. Focus on identifying their needs and meeting these needs faster, better and cheaper. Let them see you as a confidant, friend and advisor. Let them know you as a partner in progress.
Prospecting
Remarkably successful sales professionals have developed and mastered the ability to identify customers who are qualified for their solutions. They can easily identify their ideal customers who have a need, who are interested in a solution, who have the ability to make purchasing decision and also the financial strength to buy the solution. They keep looking out for new prospects on a regular basis. They invest time and energy on the right customers. They work smart, focus on productivity over activity and achievement over movement. They are very strategic with their sales approach. They have taken their time to study and understand their ideal customers and their needs.
Develop your prospecting skills. Learn how to quickly differentiate between a suspect and a prospect. Seek new prospects on a weekly basis. Focus on productivity and results. Be strategic with your sales approach. Work smart. Know your ideal customers.
Communication
Successful sales professionals are great communicators. They know how to effectively communicate their products’ benefits, features and comparative advantages to their customers, with clarity, conviction and calmness. They have developed their presentation skills to be world class. They are good interviewers. They have mastered interviewing skills. They ask their clients the right questions that help them to discover their real needs so that they can proffer the right solutions. They also write a lot. They take their customers serious by jotting down some important points during their one-on-one discussions. They also listen closely to their customers.
Improve on your presentation skills by practising your sales pitch consistently. Work on your interviewing skills. Jot down some information during your one on presentation and go through your jottings later. Be a good listener. Develop your communication skills.
Closing
Until sale is closed, every other thing is just by the way. Highly successful sales managers and professionals are not afraid to ask for a buying decision. They have mastered various ways to ask their customers to take action during their presentation. They quickly notice their customers’ concerns and fear of making buying decisions. They know how to negotiate terms and conditions effectively. They follow up on their customers closely. They have also developed effective closing strategies.
Hone your closing skills. Ask for buying decisions in various ways during your presentation. Discuss any fear of buying or concerns with your customers. Let them know how the benefits outweigh the price.
Out of these seven habits of highly successful sales professionals, which ones have you mastered? Which ones do you need to seriously work on and develop? Your ability to achieve great success in sales is unlimited. You can become a respected sales professional if you develop and master these habits. You can double your annual profit and accelerate your business growth if you focus on sales success. Remember, there is no business success without sales success.
ACTION PLAN: Build excellent relationship with your customers by showing them that you care about their success. Develop your prospecting skills. Communicate with your customers with clarity, conviction and calmness. Hone your closing skill.
AFFIRMATION: I am a successful sales professional. I am blessed and highly favoured.
