8 Skills EVERYONE Working In Sales Needs To Have

Selling is a skill, and the best salespeople out there have a set of key skills that helps them achieve their success.

This isn't about the latest technology, this isn't about AI, this is about the CORE skills that help people sell.

In this blog, we are going to share with you the 8 skills that EVERYONE working in sales should have. If you can practice and master these skills, 2024 could be your best year yet.

Let's get started...

1) The Skill of LISTENING

Once upon a time, salespeople were rated on their ability to "talk the talk". Now, however, it is the salespeople that LISTEN that win in sales. We're not just talking about pretending to listen whilst you think about what you're going to say next,

We are talking about real ACTIVE listening. Actually stop and listen to what they say, repeat parts back to clarify, ask for elaboration, let them do AS MUCH talking as possible.

Not only will you unlock TONNES of information that will help you sell, but you'll also build far greater trust with them.

2) The Skill of showing EMPATHY

Emotional intelligence is the secret skill of the most elite salespeople out there. They have honed the ability to truly connect with their prospects and customers.

They totally put aside ego and fully understand their customers and the world their customers live in. Treat your prospects and customers as individuals, walk in their shoes, understand their pains and show them that you truly want to help them.

Build your emotional intelligence to grow stronger and longer-lasting relationships with your prospects and customers in 2024.

3) The Skill of MOTIVATION

To be successful in sales you need motivation in abundance. You need it to push you to make more calls, send more emails, send more LinkedIn messages, drive to meetings, to knock doors. You need motivation to deal with the rejection, with the failures, with the losses.

The best salespeople NEVER rely on others for motivation, the create their OWN motivation each and every day.

They read motivating books, listen to motivating songs, take a quick 5-minute walk, focus on their goals, they do whatever they can to get the boost of motivation that they need.

4) The Skill of RESILIENCE

One of the most important skills by far, sales people need to MASTER the skill of resilience. Every rejection should wash over them like water over a ducks back, it should simply wash away.

They need to take nothing personally, they need to push further and further and always avoid giving up.

So many more sales could be one by simply overcoming one or two more objections. or by pushing through just a couple more barriers. The skill of resilience will help you go so much further in sales than most.

5) The Skill of PREPARATION

Far too many sales are lost each year due to a lack of preparation. The top salespeople out there are prepared for each and every prospect and customer interaction that they have.

They know EVERYTHING they need to know about their prospect. They know EVERYTHING they need to know about their industry. They know EVERYTHING they need to know about their product.

They go into each conversation fully prepared, and that preparation helps them deal with 99% of the potential challenges that are likely to happen. This quote best describes why it's so important to prepare...

6) The Skill of QUESTIONING

You can't just ask any old questions and expect the right answers, you need to be asking the RIGHT questions to succeed in sales. The skill of questioning only works when you match it with the skill of listening.

Asking the right questions is step one, then actively listening to the answers is step two.

Ask what they're using now, ask what they've used before, ask what challenges they have, ask what budget they have, ask what will happen if they don't solve this problem, ask who is involved in the decision, ask what they would like to achieve, the list of possible questions goes on.

7) The Skill of AUTHORITY

This is one of the toughest skills for salespeople to master. What makes this challenging is the huge amounts of PRESSURE that is often put on salespeople. Big targets and big KPI's often push salespeople into being desperate for the sale.

The best salespeople learn how to deal with that pressure and always present themselves with CONFIDENCE and authority.

They show that they know their product, they show that they know their industry, they show that they are a credible person that can be trusted. In the modern digital sales world this also now includes having a strong personal brand.

8) The Skill of Establishing TRUST

It's simple, if they don't trust you it is highly unlikely that they will buy from you. The skill of establishing TRUST is crucial in sales, it's achieved by being reliable, consistent, accountable and by providing a top-quality service.

If you say you're going to call at 10:00 am, call at 10:00 am. If you say you'll send a follow-up email in 5 minutes, send it in 5 minutes. Do what you promise and where you can, over-deliver.

If you can get your prospects and customers to trust you, they'll buy from you. Maintain that trust and they'll keep buying from you.

And there they are...

8 skills that EVERYONE in sales should have to be successful.

Learn them, practice them and master them. That's the secret to success in sales.

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