What Separates Great Salespeople from Average Ones

Joe Weinlick
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Without a results-driven sales team in place, your company simply cannot reach its full potential. While several factors contribute to the overall health of a successful business, great salespeople are perhaps the single most important key to building a strong company. Unfortunately, not every worker possesses the qualities and skills necessary to excel in sales. Before adding a new member to your sales force, it is important to understand what sets great salespeople apart.

Firstly, your salespeople need to exude confidence. When hiring new workers, look for candidates who demonstrate their passion and possess strong customer service skills. Great salespeople not only know their product intimately, but they also come across as likable and self-assured. Customers respond to motivated salespeople who truly believe in their products.

Not only do sales workers share their enthusiasm with potential clients, but they also must identify why the product or service in question meets the needs of the customer. Great salespeople develop empathy for their customers, and foster a friendly relationship with would-be buyers. You want to find employees who enjoy connecting with other people, as building a rapport is one of the most effective sales techniques available.

While potential members of your sales team need to demonstrate certain qualities before you hire them, you also shoulder part of the responsibility in ensuring the health of your company's sales. Strong salespeople never show up unprepared, but instead approach customers with a full range of information on available products and services. Take the time to train your employees and provide them with the resources necessary to ensure positive sales interactions.

It is also essential to find workers who understand the importance of following up after a sales call. Most employers mistakenly overlook tenacity when hiring sales employees, but great salespeople have the stamina and drive to ensure every pitch results in a sale. In some instances, customers require follow up to coax a sale. If your salespeople overlook this crucial element of the process, your business loses revenue.

Finally, do not hesitate to take stock of your employees from time to time, working to pinpoint weaknesses that result in lost sales. Hiring salespeople who possess effective sales techniques is only one part of the equation. After adding the right members to your team, continually work with your staff to keep morale high and address problems that arise accordingly.

Working in sales provides charismatic individuals with a fulfilling and rewarding career. Unfortunately, not every job candidate offers the right fit for a sales job. If you want to add great salespeople to your team, spend time recruiting employees that fit all of the desired criteria for a sales position in your business. This investment is bound to pay off over the course of the long haul.

 

(Photo courtesy of stockimages / freedigitalphotos.net)

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