Do you think you need to be a big talker to be successful in sales? You don’t. But here is what you need to have or be instead.
Passion. Are you passionate about sales? Do you think that selling is he best way for you to make a difference in your clients’ businesses? Are you proud that you call yourself a salesman? That’s passion. I think that in sales especially, you need to have passion. Why? Because selling is a tough job. Every time selling turns out differently than you want, it’s the passion that helps you pick yourself up and move on to the next challenge. Without passion, selling is a tough job that gets you slowly beaten down.
Organization. How organized are you? Sales calls need to be organized so that you maximize the time you have in front of your customer. If you’re organized, you can quickly change a 30-minute presentation to a 15-minute one if you have to. When you’re organized you can quickly get to information you need to better serve a customer. In today’s business world, customers like fast answers. It takes an organized salesperson to deliver them. You have more time for other work with the time you free up.
Hard working. Do you mind hard work? I hope not. People who are looking to quit at 5 and start selling at 10 just won’t make their sales goals. Selling is not a 9 to 5 job. The most successful salespeople are at their first sales call when their customers get to work. They drive to the customer on the salesperson’s time. The primetime of selling is just that. It’s used to sell, not do administrative work. Your thinking is faulty if you think that you can be successful in sales without working hard. Successful salespeople are often working on their own time.
Best wishes for your sales success!