3 Tips To Becoming A Best-In-Class Sales Professional

Salespeople are rarely standing still, and those not looking to close the next big deal or smash a self, or employer-imposed target don’t survive long. I don’t know any other business function is quite as dynamic or demanding as sales. You are either growing your skill base and sales figures or looking for another job. It is not a career path for the faint-hearted, and I love it.

So here are three things to consider in your pursuit of becoming the best salesperson you can possibly be.

1) Keep learning and perfecting the basics:

Hard truth time: You are not perfect, and you never will be. Until you have a 100% conversion rate, year-on-year for five or ten years in a row, you cannot claim perfection. Everyone can learn new things, and even the skills you already think you know need improving. The Pipedrive State of Sales Report 2019-2020 says that 85% of salespeople spend time studying and practising soft-selling skills. This includes communication techniques, problem-solving methods and time management.

Good salespeople will be familiar with skills such as SPIN-selling (Situation, Problem, Implication and Need) and

BANT-qualification (Budget, Authority, Need and Timeline). These are tried and tested processes for increasing sales results that have been used successfully for decades. There is a difference between knowing these acronyms and using them effectively in real-world situations, however. So, if you want recognition as the best in your world, you must spend time honing these skills and studying to learn more.

2) Set your sights high:

I have spoken many times about the power of setting goals and achieving milestones in your personal and working life. High achievers from sports to business, in the arts and throughout every human endeavour testify to having their hearts and minds set on clear targets from an early age. If you want to be the best in the world or even just the best you can be, nothing will support your journey like knowing and believing in your destination.

Maybe you are content to top the sales charts year after year and be known as the superstar salesperson in your organisation. If that is your aspiration, my previous tip will help you reach that position and stay there. However, the same Pipedrive report stated that 51% of salespeople are looking to move up the scale and become sales managers. It also says that 28% of sales managers spend over 50 hours per week at work. That suggests the competition for managerial roles is fierce and more people want the positions than there are positions available.

So, whatever your personal targets are, be prepared to work hard and put in the hours to get there.

3) To be the best, model the best:

My final tip is quite simple. Look around you and identify people who are already operating at the level you want to achieve. Who are the best sales professionals you know or know of? Which organisations post valuable information you can learn from? And are there any other people or businesses that inspire you?

When I started on my sales journey, I realised social media was a critical area I would have to master. With 85% of salespeople active on LinkedIn, it quickly became apparent it would be an essential platform to master, so I devised a plan to conquer all its algorithms and interactions. The first thing I did was reach out to all of the top sales influencers I could identify and arrange calls with them. My method was simply to ask them their formula for success, and they were all happy to share their wisdom and experiences.

There is a massive lesson there: Ask for help because the right people are always willing to support you.

Then I modelled a plan around the best parts of what the experts told me and amplified my activities ten-fold. Five months later, I became a LinkedIn Top Voice, and the following year I was awarded the same accolade.

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Disclaimer: All views expressed in this article are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of my current employer or any entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated. This post is for informational purposes only and any advice should be followed at the reader's own discretion.

?2021 by Alex Alleyne | www.alexalleyne.com | www.mysalesagency.com