How to have a great sales career
Selling is not just a game of words but also an art of the higher path of communication. A single word spoken can make or break a deal when it comes to the art of selling products. So, are you ready to discover the secrets of hardcore salesmanship?
For a seller, selling is the art of living that is carried out with great confidence. Without trust, all tabloid vocabulary goes down the drain in front of a prospective client. So the real challenge is simplifying the objective goal of becoming a top-tier salesperson offering a quality sales career.
There is a fine line between blowing and closing a sale. A true salesperson truly knows the difference between these fine lines and juggles their way to a successful sales career. Merely having greater intellectual knowledge does not guarantee success in a sales career either. What really makes the difference are the most common rules of salesmanship: desire, commitment, and patience.
A study conducted on selling indicates that it usually takes about 10 years to master the art of selling. The bottom line in any business is closing sales, and that’s exactly what it takes to impress bosses. Educational qualification has never been overstated when it comes to hiring a good salesperson. So for those who haven’t studied too hard, you still have a very good chance of landing a sales job!
The following are guidelines for building an amazing career in sales. I personally consider them the 10 commandments of quantum salesmanship!
1. Sell a product you believe in and are interested in. Selling a product that doesn’t interest you personally won’t do you any good. So try to choose a product or industry that captures your thoughts and imagination throughout your career. This will help you sell the product without much hassle in terms of the knowledge base.
2. Be an expert. Being an expert means that you understand the subject from all angles and dimensions. Don’t wait for your boss to train your brain; instead, take some proactive steps to stay ahead of your competition. This is the reason for choosing the subject of your interest and choice. Start reading results-based expert books to master your skills before you go out selling. Your lack of interest in a particular product will hinder your ability to close a cold call.
3. It is very important that you finish your apprenticeship before you dive deep into the ocean of high paying jobs. Clearly, many young sales talents take the shortcut to start earning a large chunk of salary. But what they don’t realize is the long-term picture of a successful career. Changing jobs frequently doesn’t look good on your resume, as employers will be afraid to hire you with a long-term perspective. It’s perfectly fine to trade jobs for a chance to accelerate your growth.
4. Learning from experience is the best way to reduce mistakes. Find a mentor in your industry to help you grow your career. A mentor should be someone who has been there and done that! You don’t necessarily need a coach, who will train you every time you make a mistake. A mentor will guide and help you not only in good times but also in bad. A good student will always credit her teacher’s success along with her education.
5. You should always be willing to learn under any circumstances. According to the Guru, “Learning is the very essence of a lifetime.” Your enthusiasm should rub off on everyone who works around you, as this will create a positive environment wherever you work. Customers will appreciate your positive energy while promoting a product. It’s ironic, but you have to realize that the most you’ll ever learn is from the person you might not like at all. Therefore, you should always keep an eye open and be transparent with everyone.
6. You must gain the trust of your client before you start your presentation. This means that customers should always feel comfortable around you and you should dress to impress every time you go out to sell. Having a good wardrobe always helps instill new confidence in a superficial world. Even if you don’t like it, you have to accept the fact that dressing well is a vital part of your sales presentation.
7. Contact management is an acquired skill that you must develop in order to capitalize on them. You need to keep track of how many people you know along with their contact details. Network contacts are a great resource that will increase your market penetration. If you maintain enough contacts, you rarely have to rely on cold calling to sell your product.
8. You must establish your goals and deadlines to achieve them. This is a very good habit that will reward you until you retire from the sales industry. By keeping a development plan, you will be focused on your career with a systematic approach. Many times, a salesperson without a strategy finds himself as a result of a professional crisis. Career development must also take into account your hunger to reach the higher end of the corporate ladder.
9. Maintain a helping attitude towards others, since it will increase your reliability in the sales network. Giving and receiving help is part of being a professional, and it pays off when you’re facing tough times.
10. “Keep on the punches” – You should increase your adaptability as a salesperson. Technology is rapidly changing the way a business is run, so along with it, it should also increase its ability to evolve.
If the above commandments are too boring for you to handle, believe me, it will be hard to survive in the sales industry. Sales toppers have the unique ability to convince their customers and to some extent it is a gifted skill. But those without this gift can definitely learn the art of selling through experience and perseverance. So before you head out on a sales call, be sure to read this article to stay on top of the world!