A Salesperson’s Job Starts With No!
It is great to write orders! The phone rings and the prospects simply asks for what we are selling. But that’s not really selling is it? That’s order taking. Unfortunately, that what most so-called salespeople do – take orders.
Any polite, knowledgeable customer service person can competently take an order from a customer. It takes much more, however, to convince people to see the value in our product or service that were moments before disinterested or simply indifferent. The best paid people in business are salespeople and the reason is that salespeople make things happen.
If you have a qualified prospect, meaning that they have the means to purchase your product and the are in a position to benefit from the purchase, then you have an opportunity to make a sale. In most industries salespeople will call on prospects again and again using a variety of compelling messages, psychology and simple persistence to get the business. Once a salesperson finally wins a customer then more sales skills, customers service skills and relationship building maintain the business.
The better the salesperson, the more time invested in improving skills and knowledge, the more tenacity to win, and the more dedicated the service the faster and higher the results.
The best salespeople will earn double or triple the average in their industries. The cream, the very best salespeople can earn ten, twenty and even fifty times the industry average. The opportunity to earn substantial income, in any industry, is there!
So, what sets apart the star salesperson – the Rainmaker – from the ordinary salesperson or order taker? There are thousands of traits but here are three big ones!
Ownership: The best salespeople take ownership of their actions and their opportunities. They don’t blame anyone for their problems, mistakes or opportunities. The result is they development complete control over their thoughts, their choices and their lives. They become masterminds controlling their own destiny.
Skill: The best salespeople are not just good, hard-working salespeople they significantly invest in themselves. The best salespeople have taken the time to become skilled public speakers, powerful negotiators and compelling writers. The best salespeople own sales libraries and are continually developing every skill needed that can benefit their craft and increase their performance.
Persistence: The best salespeople know that the next opportunity is just around the corner and that one more call, one more sales letter or one more presentation will uncover the opportunity that can start the ball rolling toward the next great win.
If you are responsible for generating business whether you are the owner of your own business or a salesperson who is part of a large organisation ask yourself how much energy you have put into getting better in the last year? How many books have you read on your product or on selling? How much time and effort have you put into improving your performance?
The answer will tell you where you are and why you are there – performance never lies!