A successful sales career is not born of good luck or quick wins. Instead, it is born of structured and consistent commitment to proven methodologies and rules. In this blog, I will share eight of the most important rules salespeople must follow for a successful career.
1. Consistently fill the pipeline
When salespeople do not consistently prospect for new business, an organisation’s sales will endure extreme ups and downs. Neglecting the activity of prospecting is a common occurrence when salespeople are busy. As a result of inconsistent prospecting, salespeople often scramble to acquire new business when sales decline or business with their current customers terminates.
Instead, salespeople must consistently fill the pipeline to create a more predictable and stable sales play.
2. Pose high-quality questions
Many salespeople (including highly experienced professionals) fail to ask prospects and customers high-quality questions. This lack of inquiry occurs when salespeople have not received the training to ask high-quality questions or when they incorrectly believe they already do so.
Unfortunately, by neglecting to ask high-quality questions early in the sales process, salespeople frequently mis-pitch their product, service, or solution, resulting in more objections from the prospect.
Once a salesperson poses a question, they must maintain silence and wait for a response. Too many salespeople respond to their own questions or continue speaking after posing a question.
3. Become a great listener
The most effective salespeople are the most attentive listeners. Upon investing time in asking excellent questions, paying close attention to what the other person says is essential. A sound listening method is to summarise the conversation in your own words after a sales meeting and confirm the veracity of your summary with your prospect.
4. Be customer focused
Focus your presentation entirely on the customer. All too often, during a sales presentation, salespeople discuss their business, reciting statistics about how long their organisation has been in business, who their clients are, etc. Top salespeople tailor their presentations to match the specific demands of each prospect.
Despite what your marketing department may believe, few individuals care about your organisation. Prospects want to know what issue your proposed solution would address. Avoid jargon or terminology that is superfluous. Less complicated presentations are easier to comprehend.
5. Build trust
If people do not trust you, they will not buy from you.
It is challenging to gain your prospects’ trust because they already receive many phone calls and emails from other salespeople attempting to offer them products. As a result of past encounters with dishonest individuals, decision-makers tend to be more hesitant to trust an unknown individual. Therefore, you must clearly illustrate why a prospect should trust you.
Please note that you cannot simply tell them; you must demonstrate. To demonstrate trust, act professionally, treat the people at your prospect’s company with respect and dignity, and respect your prospect’s time.
6. Demonstrate value
The best way to demonstrate value is to show exactly how your solution will benefit your prospect. Contrary to popular belief, this does not mean talking at great length about it or telling your prospect everything there is to know about your product or service.
Showing value means discussing the aspects of your solution that are most relevant to each prospect in terms that are easy to understand.
7. Follow through on commitments
It is common for salespeople to routinely make promises they do not keep. Not following through displays a disregard for professionalism and fulfilling the prospect’s objectives, rapidly eroding the prospect’s trust in the salesperson.
8. Recognise when to let go
Salespeople will often pursue a lead even when it is evident that a sale will not occur. Typically, this occurs when their pipeline is devoid of opportunities.
If you have done everything possible to progress the sales process, but it has stalled, you should decide if it is the best use of your time to continue trying. In most cases, it is not worth the time and effort.
You have limited time per day or week; therefore, you must prioritise leads and prospects interested in your product, service, or solution.
Sales Solutions for your organisation
Is your sales team delivering inconsistent results? Resonate can help. We offer sales as a service and can also fine-tune and train your existing sales team to boost their performance. Please visit our B2B Sales page for more on our sales solutions.
