How do you get better at sales and marketing in your business?

In this post, we’ll take a look at how to be a good salesperson. What it takes and why it’s important. Selling is not about being sleazy but its about being able to listen and help your clients solve a problem.

Are You a Born Sales Person?

It seems as though some people were just born to become a salesperson. Would you consider yourself in this category or is becoming a good salesperson something that you are struggling with? 

While you may think that a certain group of people were born to work in sales, it’s really not a genetic quality.  Becoming a great salesperson is a skill that can be learnt by anyone with proper motivation and direction. 

The key to being good at sales is to enjoy the world of sharing. Yes, that’s it.  Great salespeople share more than sell. You really need to have that want and desire to be in this line of business from the start. When you are interested and love something your actions and enthusiasm coming shining through. 

Once you have decided that selling is where you want to be, you need to make a commitment to yourself to develop your skills. This includes learning how to create a mindset for sales, learning how to ask the right questions and how to find the solution to your customer’s problem. 

Some of the traits that successful salespeople exhibit include:

• Confidence
• The art of listening
• Knowing how to ask the right questions
• Being motivated
• Setting difficult goals
• Going out of their way to get the job done

When you can develop these skills then you have a much better chance of making it in sales. Your personality also comes into play and while you may be enthusiastic about your products.  That said, you must also recognize when to tone things down a little. Some people do not like to be approached by a loud and joyful person and will be turned off by this approach. You may see better results by approaching them in a more discreet manner. This is why it is vital that you learn how to read the signals people show. 

A successful salesperson takes time to develop these important skills. They know how to approach people and they know how to ask probing questions that give them valuable information. 

This is why rainmakers, powerful salespeople, seem to have no trouble in closing sales and finding new accounts. They have listened to the concerns of their customers and then taken the time to find them a solid solution. Once they present this solution the deal becomes signed, sealed and delivered. 

Follow these tips and you will be on your way to looking as though you are a born salesperson too. 

Becoming a Confident Sales Person

Salespeople learn how to demonstrate self-confidence whether or not they are actually feeling it. This can be done by managing your body language. Your body language is the one thing that can easily give away your true feelings. 

One thing to be aware of is that people will get an impression of you the moment they set eyes on you. This happens in a split second and when it does, for good or bad, it is hard for that impression to be changed. 

This is why it is so important to look, feel and dress confident for every sales meeting or call that you go on. Your stomach may be churning and full of butterflies, but you need to exhibit confidence on the outside. 

To achieve this you can do several things. First, you want to dress the part and by this we mean dressing so that you appear successful. It is worth investing in a good quality business suit and shoes! This immediately makes you appear confident and in control when people see you walk into the room.

Other things to be aware of are the movements you make. You may fidget with your hair or you may constantly shift weight from one foot to the other. This can make you look nervous and insecure. 

You may not realize what habits you have that can be distracting to others. To discover if you have any of these annoying traits you can stand in front of a mirror and practise giving your presentation. If possible you could also record yourself. As you view it, you may notice small things that you do. Or you could just ask a trusted friend or your spouse if you have any habits when speaking to others. 

Annoying habits could be just playing with your cell phone or fiddling with your hands or your necklace. Once you are aware of these habits you can work on conquering them. 

The way you stand and sit shows your confidence level as well. If you slouch at your desk you most likely do the same when in a sales meeting. This makes you appear lazy and disinterested. The moment you sit up tall and erect people will start to see that you mean business. The same applies to your posture when standing.  Stand up tall and push your chest out a little. You now look as though you mean business and are someone to be reckoned with. 

Are You a Pushy Sales Person?

One of the worst traits for a salesperson is to be seen as too pushy. These are the types of people that walk up to you the moment you cross the threshold of a store or enter a salesroom. While they may be eager to help, they come across in a negative way. Quite often people will simply turn around and leave if approached in this manner. 

While you may be eager to make sales, you need to learn to develop the habit of letting people browse and walk around. This actually serves two purposes. The first is that they have the time to view your products. The second, and most important purpose is that you get the time to observe the person!

Why is this important, you might ask?

When you learn how to read people you can adjust your approach to them. People often gravitate towards people with similar personalities. Some people connect with a more boisterous salesperson. Whereas a quieter person would be put off by this approach. 

It is not hard to learn how to read people. It really does entail just sitting back and watching what they do. Of course, you don’t want to make it too obvious that you are watching them. You want to get into the habit of observing what they do every few minutes. 

Make a point of noticing if they have come in alone or are they with their spouse? Do they walk with their hands in their pockets or their head down? This could signal that they are quiet and just want to be left alone. 

If a group or couple come in together and immediately start talking in a loud manner, then this indicates that they are more approachable right away. 

Once you have determined the type of person you think they are, you can see what type of approach would be more suitable. For a quiet person, you may just want to go up and introduce yourself using a softer tone of voice. Let them know that you are available if they have any questions and then walk away. 

For a louder person, you can approach them in a gregarious manner and strike up a conversation almost immediately. They are happy to talk to you and ask you lots of questions. 

Over time your skill level at reading people will increase and you will have the ability to approach anyone in a friendly manner, and never come across as that pushy salesperson!