The question regarding what skills do you need to be a sales representative has no specific, straight to the point answer. This article is going to give you a general idea on this subject that you can use to map out your strategy to fulfill those needs.
Common sense tells us that a salesperson sells. That makes knowing how to sell is one of the most important sales representative skills. The best thing about any profession, not only selling skills, is that it can be trained. A person can learn and develop those skills through a proper training program. In general, here are 9 steps sales process that summarizes all the sales skills:
Preparations or planning for a sales call is at the beginning of every sales process. You probably
have heard this saying countless times before: "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." There have been many approaches towards planning as we all know it, but the best planning is always the one that you find it easy to execute.
For example, I used to prepare my day before making my calls using a 'To-Do List.' These days, I just use Google Calendar that has the Event, Reminder, or Goal label. I find it to be much easier because in a glance, I can see what's going on for the whole month and if I need to be specific, I just tap the "schedule" view and my entire day is revealed before me.
Impact-fully opening a sales call is a skill a sales representative needs to develop from the day he or she takes up the job. If representatives can pull this off, they'll get the customers' attention which available in a minimal supply these days.
In general, there are two things sales representatives want to focus on:
All these need to be at their fingertips, and they can use Step 1 - Preparing for a sales call - to practice or rehearsing features and benefits or vice versa before they face a real customer. This is another skill needed to be a sales representative.
This is the conviction step of the sales process. A skilled representative knows what to use to convince prospects and how to use it. For example, to show that a product really works, he or she uses testimonies and stories from customers who have enjoyed the benefits of using the product. But the evidence does not work all the time. With enough exposure and practice, representatives can pick up clues to what works best in any given situation.
This is a skill that allows a sales representative to go straight into asking for a commitment. To be able to reach this stage, they need to know how to read the 'buying signal,' as it is well known for. The signal comes in a different form; verbal or non-verbal. How to identify it takes practice.
It is not an overstatement to say that this is the most focused upon skill. In my humble opinion, I agree that it is an overstatement. Today, there are Selling Models that do not give this particular skill the attention it used to have. For example, Newsell, founded by Dr. Michael Hewitt Gleeson (updated to this). Nonetheless, it still falls into what power you need to be a sales representative.
What it used to be when 'commitment' is mentioned, is getting the prospect to sign the check. That's not necessarily so in today's complex Buying Cycle because commitment can simply mean moving another step further in the Cycle. Asking people to commit is still another skill representatives need to have when selling.
Most of the time, a sales representative promotes more than one product. To move from one product to another to another to ... takes practice. This is not necessary. It applies to reps with multiple products. But it is a valuable skill to develop.
Some companies are very good at this, for example, Amazon.com. It's a fact that prospects can take up to 7 times follow up before they decided to commit. Following them up to the right way until they reach those commitments takes proper planning and perseverance. Follow up is more critical when we win the prospects over. Winning prospects is just the beginning. Keeping them is what gets the business rolling.
Now, if you asked yourself the question of what skills do you need to be a good sales representative, you have a clear picture of the answer. It is all in the sales process.
Knowing The Steps Of Selling Process Is What Needed From A Sales Representative
Common sense tells us that a salesperson sells. That makes knowing how to sell is one of the most important sales representative skills. The best thing about any profession, not only selling skills, is that it can be trained. A person can learn and develop those skills through a proper training program. In general, here are 9 steps sales process that summarizes all the sales skills:
1. Prepare for the sales call
Preparations or planning for a sales call is at the beginning of every sales process. You probably
have heard this saying countless times before: "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." There have been many approaches towards planning as we all know it, but the best planning is always the one that you find it easy to execute.
For example, I used to prepare my day before making my calls using a 'To-Do List.' These days, I just use Google Calendar that has the Event, Reminder, or Goal label. I find it to be much easier because in a glance, I can see what's going on for the whole month and if I need to be specific, I just tap the "schedule" view and my entire day is revealed before me.
2. Opening a sales call
Impact-fully opening a sales call is a skill a sales representative needs to develop from the day he or she takes up the job. If representatives can pull this off, they'll get the customers' attention which available in a minimal supply these days.
3. Presenting a product
In general, there are two things sales representatives want to focus on:
- State the benefit(s) of a product or service
- Add more features with essential benefits.
All these need to be at their fingertips, and they can use Step 1 - Preparing for a sales call - to practice or rehearsing features and benefits or vice versa before they face a real customer. This is another skill needed to be a sales representative.
4. Proving what is said
This is the conviction step of the sales process. A skilled representative knows what to use to convince prospects and how to use it. For example, to show that a product really works, he or she uses testimonies and stories from customers who have enjoyed the benefits of using the product. But the evidence does not work all the time. With enough exposure and practice, representatives can pick up clues to what works best in any given situation.
5. Checking buy-in
This is a skill that allows a sales representative to go straight into asking for a commitment. To be able to reach this stage, they need to know how to read the 'buying signal,' as it is well known for. The signal comes in a different form; verbal or non-verbal. How to identify it takes practice.
6. Handling concerns and objections
It is not an overstatement to say that this is the most focused upon skill. In my humble opinion, I agree that it is an overstatement. Today, there are Selling Models that do not give this particular skill the attention it used to have. For example, Newsell, founded by Dr. Michael Hewitt Gleeson (updated to this). Nonetheless, it still falls into what power you need to be a sales representative.
7. Getting the commitment
What it used to be when 'commitment' is mentioned, is getting the prospect to sign the check. That's not necessarily so in today's complex Buying Cycle because commitment can simply mean moving another step further in the Cycle. Asking people to commit is still another skill representatives need to have when selling.
8. Bridging to another product
Most of the time, a sales representative promotes more than one product. To move from one product to another to another to ... takes practice. This is not necessary. It applies to reps with multiple products. But it is a valuable skill to develop.
9. Following up after a sales call
Some companies are very good at this, for example, Amazon.com. It's a fact that prospects can take up to 7 times follow up before they decided to commit. Following them up to the right way until they reach those commitments takes proper planning and perseverance. Follow up is more critical when we win the prospects over. Winning prospects is just the beginning. Keeping them is what gets the business rolling.
Now, if you asked yourself the question of what skills do you need to be a good sales representative, you have a clear picture of the answer. It is all in the sales process.
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