The Skills of a Successful Salesperson

Most people have never been in sales, but everyone has dealt with
sales people. The sales profession is like every other profession:
there is a wide range between the good and bad. Unfortunately there
tend to be more sale people in the mediocre to bad range than there
are in the good to great, but it doesn't need to be that way. The
best sales people are successful because they are good at core sales
skills. They are so skilled that you might not even recognize that
they are using these skills, because they seem to be a natural part of
how they operate. If you are in sales and want to be successful, then
get good at these skills:Prospecting. All good sales people know how
to find customers. The sales term for this is prospecting.
Prospecting is about finding people who have the need for your product
or service and have the ability to say "yes."Analyzing needs.
Successful sales people know how to analyze people's needs. They are
skilled at questioning prospects to discover if they have the needs
and desire to buy their products or services. Just like a skilled
news reporter, they use open-ended questions to learn more about the
prospect's needs and desires, and they used closed-ended questions to
confirm information. Open-ended questions begin with the words: who,
what, why, where, when and how. Close-ended questions can only be
answered with a "yes" or "no' response.Presenting. Effective sales
people know how to make effective presentations that not only describe
the features of their product or service, but also emphasize the
associated benefits. People may be interested in a product's
features, but they "buy" because of the benefits. For example, a GPS
system built into your car may be an interesting feature, but you buy
this for the benefits of not getting lost thereby saving time and
frustration. Good sales people always explain the benefits associated
with every feature of their product or service to the prospect so they
don't need to guess how the product will solve their problem or
fulfill their desires.Closing. Closing is the process of bringing the
sale to fruition to convert prospects to paying customers. It is not
about manipulative techniques, but rather about educating the
prospect. When sales people have done a good job analyzing needs and
presenting the feature and benefits of their product or service to the
prospect, closing is a natural next step. When customers have been
well qualified and presented with an affordable and effective solution
to their problems, they "want to buy." Good sales people will simply
help them with the process, complete the paperwork, and get them to
sign the order.Managing Time. All good professionals must manage
their time effectively. Sales people must decide how they will spend
the twenty-four hours in each day. They must allocate their time
between prospecting, interviewing potential customers, presenting and
closing, along with taking care of their administrative tasks. Good
sales people maximize the time that they are in front of customers on
any given day and complete their administrative tasks later.Sales can
be a tough profession, but skilled sales professionals succeed because
they are good at these basic skills. They understand the sales
process, are effective at working with prospects, and use their time
wisely. If you are in sales, make sure that you are good at these
basic skills.