In order for a salesperson to generate business and to deal with the numerous client objections and problems effectively requires that every sales organisation makes certain that they are highly skilled.
A commitment to honing a salesperson’s sales skills through a continuous formal training and coaching programme, is the preferred way to guarantee increased market share and profitability.
Sadly, however, many sales organisations do not make enough investment into sales skills training for their salespeople.
They knowingly or unknowingly expect salespeople to be familiar with the necessary sales skills because they must have studied marketing or business studies in school, or acquired the necessary skills on their own through trial and error.
Here are the six sales skills which have to be mastered by a salesperson to be able to sell as a professional:
1.Fundamentals of selling
It introduces the salesperson to the basics of selling with emphasis on the different stages of the sales cycle.
Specific skills include understanding customer behaviour, both for organisation and individual; building rapport and relationship with potential customers through excellent communication skills.
Unfortunately salespeople don’t listen and are always “vomiting” on prospective customers, by talking too much, asking no questions to understand their needs.
Every salesperson must also acquire the skill of finding, qualifying and disqualifying prospects to prevent time wasting on leads that will never buy. Benefits of a product or service have to be communicated by developing presentation skills.
Two other sales skills are the ability of a salesperson to use proven techniques to overcome objections and close the sales.
Lastly, once the sale is completed a salesperson must develop a strategy to provide after sales support and follow-up.
This is a sales skill which has to be acquired and not left to trial and error.
2.Negotiation skills
Majority of salespeople I’ve met and trained do not know how to negotiate. In fact, the prospective customer is always in the driving seat.
It is sad to see salespeople conceding so much without getting anything in return during sales interactions just to make a sale.
Salespeople even start negotiating when the prospective customer hasn’t even expressed interest in buying.
They would say something like “my name is …I’m from Crazy FM. As mentioned we have a special Christmas package for you to advertise your product. Our rate for 60 seconds ad is usually GH¢400, but we are offering it to you at GH¢200….”
As I tell people, this is just like going to book a candle-night dinner for two at a five-star hotel before going to ask a girl out on a date.
Learning negotiation skills will ensure a win-win relationship with customers.
3.Consultative Selling Skills
This is a more complex, long-term sales process which involves a partnership between both buyer and seller.
At the core of the consultative selling skills is the need for the salesperson to firstly gain an understanding of the customer’s needs, business, and industry.
Once that has been done, the salesperson then develops a solution to meet the pre-stated needs of the customer.
4.Adaptive Selling Skills
To become a truly professional salesperson and become hugely successful requires the ability to adapt both your communication and selling styles to match that of different prospective customers.
As an example, I used to have a client where the two directors exhibited contrasting communication styles. One was interested in proposals which demonstrated the numbers (hard facts), while the other loved the aesthetic aspect.
In order to sell proposals to them effectively, my team and I developed proposals which appealed to both decision makers’ individual communication and buying styles.
5.Strategic Selling in Major Account Relationships
Typically it costs sales organisations 5-10 times more to acquire new customers, compared to generating additional business from existing customers.
This is the main reason why salespeople should acquire account management skills. This sales skill focuses on two areas:
First, what actions to take to minimise the risk of losing customers for instance to competition.
As sales trainer Patricia Fripp said, "your best clients are the hottest prospects for your competitors."
Secondly, addressing the question of what additional sales opportunities can be developed? The bad news is that several sales organisations have given titles such as Key Account Manager, Distributor Account Manager, and Relationship Manager to salespeople who are not adequately equipped to do the job effectively with its resultant loss of major accounts.
6.Selling at Executive Level
In Business to business (B2B) sales, there is a correlation between the roles of the person a salesperson contacts in an organisation and the chances of making a sale.
In my business, my best clients averaging eight years of ongoing relationship started by selling at the executive level – key decision makers, preferably the managing director or a director responsible for the area in which your services or products will benefit. They are also my most profitable accounts with very little frustrations.
According to a research conducted by Siebel Systems Inc, the sooner a salesperson is able to create contact with the senior decision maker the higher the probability for winning the deal.
If a salesperson can establish early contact with senior decision makers, they can help to influence and shape their buying criteria so that it’s aligned with his organisation’s products/services.
Sales organisations should train their salespeople to sell to executives.
Conclusion
As Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur said, “practice is just as valuable as a sale. The sale will make you a living; the skill will make you a fortune.”
So, if that is the case, then sales organisations should invest in developing the sales skills of their salespeople.
The writer is the C.E.O of Salesmark Services. He is also a Sales Consultant, Trainer & Coach. For a FREE Consultation, you can reach him at
E-mail:
Whatsapp: 0244279368
