You must understand that you are not just selling products. In a wider scope, you also provide services, create solutions, and solve problems. But before you can provide a solution, you must be able to identify the problem first. The only way to find a problem is to ask the right thing.
Like a doctor who diagnoses a patient, you must be systematic and accurate. The best sales professionals are able to identify the needs of prospective clients and sometimes, through smart questions, they are even able to make needs for prospective customers. In order to be able to ask intelligently, you must be able to sort words into helpful, relevant and specific questions in order to get the right answers. When you get the answers you need, you can offer your product or service as a solution to their problems.
4. Become a good listener
Being able to listen well is a skill that a salesperson must have. In fact, this skill is able to increase the performance of a sales person. But unfortunately, listening well is the least developed skill among professional sales. Being a good listener and building relationships are complementary skills to be able to understand potential clients' thoughts and opinions. It also helps you to show that you pay attention and care about their problems.
There are times when your potential client provides important information in the conversation, which you might miss out on not paying attention. If this happens, you will lose important opportunities to respond swiftly. Good listening is most helpful when choosing clients to prospect and when responding to rejection.
5. Tough handle rejection
As a sales person, of course you understand that there will be many rejections when you try to sell. What distinguishes experienced salespeople from those of beginners is the ability to handle potential customers' refusal.
According to Daryl Spreiter from Salesforce, rejection is something that cannot be avoided, but do not be seen as an opportunity that is forever closed. The key is understanding why prospective clients refuse. You have to find out about this if you want to succeed in selling. Spreiter also states that rejection arises because of several different factors, such as lack of knowledge, problem of perception, and others. You must be able to develop your own method in the face of resistance by paying attention to client complaints and the reasons.
6. Solid time management
Talking about time management does sound easy, even though time management requires self-control and is sometimes difficult to do. Time management is not just making sales plans in advance or scheduling meetings with clients. Time management requires flexibility, adaptability, and great discipline.
It's not uncommon for a salesperson to get stuck between tasks outside the schedule. The biggest challenge in time management is to face situations outside the plan. When urgent problems arise and demand immediate action, you must know how to deal with them with limited time without sacrificing the plans you have arranged.
Sales is a complicated profession. In industries that demand to always move, blunt , and devote energy every day, you will lose the golden opportunity if you don't have the above abilities. If you want to be a successful sales person , you must start developing and applying the above capabilities as soon as possible. Good luck!