There are over 13 million sales workers in the United States who fulfill a wide range of duties in an even broader range of industries. These people are vital to any and every business. You can have the best HVAC technicians in your area but nowhere to send them if you don’t sell your services. You can offer the most innovative new kitchen gadget, but no one will buy it if you can’t get it onto store shelves. Clearly, salespeople are essential!
And yet, Dale Carnegie wrote in How to Win Friends and Influence People that “Customers like to feel that they are buying—not being sold.” Sounds like a problem. How do we get people to buy when they don’t want to be subjected to the tried and true (often, in their minds, “sleazy”) sales tactics we all know?
Well, let’s start by rethinking what makes a good salesperson.
Why Salespeople Are Vital to a Business
Sales teams are the backbone of any company, and they’re responsible for a business’s success or failure. What makes them so critical?
First, sales teams have the most direct impact on revenue and profitability; their performance controls the financial health of the company. Second, sales teams are responsible for market expansion, creating or stunting company growth. Third, salespersons are often the connectors, building rapport and loyalty with customers, which brings them back again and again.
Good salespeople need to know how to be successful in sales, which starts with cultivating their innate traits.
Types of Sales Roles in a Company
Of course, there are many different types of salespeople and sales roles, and all should be acknowledged for their unique contributions. Here’s a quick overview.
First up, inside sales. These sales reps are often responsible for prospecting and finding qualified leads. They generally conduct sales remotely, utilizing technology and CRM tools for efficiency.
Up next, outside sales. This is what many people might call field sales. Field salespersons build face-to-face relationships with clients. They’re the ones conducting presentations, handling negotiations, and closing deals in person. An outside sales rep should know sales best practices such as negotiation and be able to connect with customers through empathy and understanding.
Finally, there are key account managers. These positions are important because they are responsible for gaining and maintaining relationships. They cross-sell and upsell and identify growth opportunities for existing accounts.
What Makes a Good Salesperson
It’s clear that salespeople do a lot for a business. They fill a lot of roles and need a lot of skills to reach their objectives. This means learning how to be a good salesman is critical. No matter the role, these are some of the common traits among highly successful salespeople.
- Communication: Salespeople need to be articulate and able to express themselves clearly. They should be able to adapt their communication style to match the needs of each client.
- Persuasiveness: Yes, salespeople still need to convince customers to buy services and products, but it doesn’t have to be sleazy. Use the Dale Carnegie principles for winning people to your way of thinking, including beginning in a friendly way and making the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
- Empathy: Empathetic salespeople get to know their clients and can understand their unique concerns and needs. This builds relationships and results in better services and more happiness with purchases.
- Confidence: Salespeople should have confidence both in themselves and in what they’re selling. Confidence carries over to customers who are inspired to believe in the product or service.
- Resilience: Salespeople know that rejection is part of the sales game. They need to be resistant to feeling negative about these experiences. Bouncing back from setbacks means they will persist in their duties until they find success.
- Knowledge: Knowledgeable salespeople know their product or service inside and out. Understanding the features and benefits of what you’re selling means being able to answer customer questions and provide the best solution.
- Goal-Oriented: Focus, drive, and motivation are strong in salespeople who are goal-oriented. They have milestones they’d like to reach, and they strive for them no matter what.
- Active Listener: You can only provide proper solutions if you listen to the client’s actual problems. Good salespeople are good listeners and probe prospects for the right information so they can help them make the best decision on which product or service to purchase.
- Lifelong Learner: Excellent salespeople are crafted, not born. Sales is a dynamic field and best practices are changing all the time. Salespeople who stay up to date on their industry and pursue professional upskilling will be more successful.
These traits may contribute to sales success, but not every successful salesperson needs to have all of them right off the bat. These skills and traits can be developed through training, practice, and general experience.
Salesforce and Dale Carnegie Training have partnered to provide tools to build your selling skills. Introducing two free Dale Carnegie webinars, exclusive to the Trailhead by Salesforce Community:
Multiple sessions are available now. Enroll and see how you can make better connections with your clients, prospects, and leads!