General Skills Every Salesperson Should Have
In this article we’ll be looking at the general skills that anyone who wants to be a better salesperson should have. If you’ve ever met someone who just seems to be a ‘natural’ at sales, then they either have these skills as an inherent part of their personality, or they have studied or acquired these skills over time.
The important thing for you to know is that all of these skills can be learned and developed.
These general skills include:
– Listening Skills – an effective salesperson must be able to listen to what a potential customer or customer is saying to them – as well as what is not being said. They must be willing to take the time to understand what the customer truly needs and identify the problem the customer is trying to solve.
– Effective Communication Skills – in addition to listening, you must be able to respond well. You must be able to offer solutions to the customer’s problems if the customer is ever going to buy from you or your company.
– Problem Solving Skills – good salespeople are always working to solve problems – they understand that problem solving is what their real job is.
– Interpersonal Skills – beyond communication skills, salespeople should know how to work well with their customers and with each other in order to be most effective. They should be courteous, respectful, and skilled at building relationships.
– Organization Skills – good salespeople are well-organized. This doesn’t necessarily mean their desk is well organized, but it does mean that they have a system for maintaining information about prospects, customers, products, and any other information their customer might need.
– Self-Motivation Skills – if you’re going to be good at sales, you have to be able to motivate yourself. There will be those times that you don’t want to take the next step in the sales process, but you’ll need to know how to work through those feelings and take the steps that your customers need – and that will help you be successful in your job.
– Persuasion Skills – customers almost always have a choice in the company they work with or choose to buy from. Persuasion is the art of helping the customer to choose your offer over others.
– Customer Service Skills – once you know how to make a sale, do you know how to keep that customer coming back? Do you view them as a one-time sale or as someone who could be a continual source of sales over the life of a relationship with them?
– Integrity – in any relationship, including a salesperson-customer relationship, integrity is vital. Without it, you will lose the customer’s trust, their business, and possibly the business of others that the customer will tell about your company – and you.
