6 Skills Every Sales Pro Needs

You have the ability right now to learn what it takes to become one of the top salespeople your company or industry has ever known. That's a pretty strong statement, but don't discount it until you've read the rest of this post.

Maybe you went into sales because you couldn't get any other kind of job. Maybe you went into sales because other family members are in it and they persuaded you to try it. Maybe you've heard about the great income potential in this wonderful profession and had to see for yourself.

How I got started in selling

At age 19, I was working construction. It was hard physical work and paid okay, but the opportunities for advancement weren't great. Someone suggested that I try selling if I wanted to make good money.

In Southern California in the 1960's, real estate was booming so I decided to get my real estate license. Please note that selling real estate was considered an old man's profession at that time. So, the trend was against me, but I was determined. It took more than once for me to pass that licensing exam, but I did it. Then, I started going to real estate agencies on my way home from my construction job every day, asking them to hire me. Needless to say, I didn't make a great first impression, coming in on my motorcycle, dressed for day labor. I didn't even own a suit, which was the standard attire for real estate agents at the time.

I finally convinced someone to give me an opportunity. I was excited, but had to figure out what to wear. I didn't have money to buy a new suit so I decided to wear the closest thing I had, which was my high school band uniform. When I showed up that first morning, the broker was holding a sales meeting. As I walked in, he looked up with surprise and said to the rest of the agents, "If this kid, in a band uniform, can sell real estate, then the rest of you should make millions."

Selling real estate on a motorcycle wasn't easy. I had to tell the prospective buyers to follow me and hope they didn't get lost on the way to the homes.

My first six months in real estate, I averaged $42 a month. For the one sale I made, I was fortunate that the buyers knew how to fill out the paperwork. I learned it all the hard way, through trial and error. But, the key here is that I did learn. I went on to set listing and selling records that still stand today. I achieved my goal of becoming a millionaire by age 30 three years early. At age 27, I was one of the most successful real estate agents in the entire country!

What matters most is your attitude about what you're doing

Whether you're in sales now or thinking about going into sales doesn't matter. What matters most is your attitude about what you're doing to earn your living.

• What are you willing to do in order to achieve the goals you've formed around your successful selling career?
• How many "no's" are you willing to take before getting to the "yes's" that you need?
• How much are you willing to change what you are today to get what you want tomorrow?

How to succeed in sales

You begin succeeding in sales by finding successful people and surrounding yourself with them. Be with the people whom you'd most like to become. If you want to be average, then stick with average people. If it's your desire to achieve greatness in sales, then learn what the great ones do and do it!

Let me give you a head start on your road to success. I know what the great ones do. I have taught proven-effective selling skills to over five million students during the last 40 years. Selling is my hobby. It's my passion. Helping others learn better and more professional ways to serve others is what my company is all about.

Step #1 - Learn the product

First, internalize everything you can possibly get your hands on about your product or service. Become a product of your product. Use it yourself. Talk with clients who use it and love it.

Believe in it! People will say "yes" to you more on your conviction and enthusiasm for your product that any fact or figure you may quote. If you are new to selling, don't settle for selling just anything. Find a product you can become passionate about. It'll make all the difference.

Step #2 - Master skills for connecting with people

Start working on your people skills. There are right and wrong ways to approach people.

Your #1 goal when you meet someone new is to have them like you, trust you, and want to listen to you.

It may seem elementary, but to have someone like you, you must be likeable. That means you smile. You make eye contact. You introduce yourself.

• Ask their names. Repeat their names so you know you are pronouncing them correctly. If it's an unusual name, ask for the correct spelling.
• Establish common ground. People buy from people who are like them. If you like the same sports team, that's common ground. If you live in the same area, that's common ground. If you're around the same age with kids in close grades in school, that's common ground.
• Develop an attitude of servitude. Let them feel that you're there to help them make a good decision and to serve their needs. People want to have an expert in their corner. Become that expert they call on for advice when the topic of your product or service comes to mind.

In sales, you're not just out to make friends. You want to close sales. After all, it is how you've chosen to make your living.

Step #3 - Find out what buyers really NEAD

You can't sell something to someone without knowing what they need. So, that's your next step. Determine their needs. I've developed a quick and easy-to-remember method for this. It's called the NEADS qualification sequence and you can download a recording of it here. Remember that you're trying to determined their "needs" but spell it NEADS to remember what to say.

The first letter, "N," stands for Now. Ask them, What do they have now? Unless they've won the lottery or inherited millions, few people drastically change what they have now other than to make their lives better. So, knowing what they have now will help you understand where they're coming from.

The next letter, "E," stands for Enjoy. What do they enjoy most about what they have now? They'll want to keep the good stuff in considering any change so your product or service will need to at least cover what they enjoy.

The "A" stands for Alter. What would they alter (or change) about what they have now? This is where they will tell you what they need. Ask as many questions as you need to get a clear picture of what they're telling you. Repeat your understanding of their needs back to them and get them to agree that "yes, that's what we're looking for" before going any further.

The "D" in NEADS stands for Decision-Maker. This is where you determine how much selling to do with these people. You need to know if they're truly the decision-makers. If they're not, find out who else must be consulted and present to all parties who will be involved. Never make a product presentation to a non-decision-maker unless you just need the practice. If they've told you what they need and that they're the decision-makers, then and only then will you move into presenting the benefits of your product or service.

The "S" in NEADS stands for Solution. You have to believe you have a sound solution for their needs before you even consider giving a presentation. And, your presentation has to be focused on showing them how your solution will satisfy those needs.

Step #4 - The nuances of presenting

There are many little nuances of presenting products that come into play.

• You want to have your potential clients sit or stand across from you. That way, you can watch their body language and the unspoken words that fly between them. Don't have them on either side of you where they can communicate silent messages that you miss.
• Get them physically involved in the presentation. Hand them things. Have them push buttons, open and close doors, sit in or on furniture, and calculate savings. The more senses you can involve, the more likely they are to take mental ownership of the product. If your product is an intangible, there are subtle ways you can get them mentally seeing themselves after they own it as well.

Step #5 - Prepare for objections

Since no one wants to feel they're 'being sold' expect most potential clients to object about something. It's a natural reflex that few average salespeople understand. The great ones anticipate objections with relish. They know if a potential client objects that they're feeling moved toward making a positive buying decision. You see, people aren't going to waste their time objecting to something they're not interested in. Makes sense, doesn't it?

The great ones in sales prepare answers to the most common objections for their product or service. The answers are psychologically sound and help the buyers rationalize the decision, if it's truly good for them.

Once objections are handled, concerns addressed, buyers ready to take your widget home, there's actually one more thing you must do.

Step #6 - Ask for the sale!

Few buyers will whip out their checkbooks or credit cards once they agree the product or service is right for them. In fact, a study was done years ago where people were asked why they didn't make a purchase after a product had been demonstrated to them. The most common answer was, "We were never asked!" Don't ever let that be the cause of an average selling career for you!

Top salespeople know anywhere from five to 25 ways of asking for the final "yes." Those ways are called closes and if you're in sales to make money, you'll want to start mastering as many as possible as soon as you can.

You have what it takes to learn to become the best in your field. Just make the commitment and get on with it!

Copyright Tom Hopkins International, Inc. www.tomhopkins.com

Tom Hopkins, America's #1 Sales Trainer has customized sales training for over 300 companies worldwide including AFLAC, ADT Security, Best Buy, MaryKay Cosmetics, State Farm and trained over five million sales pros at his general sales training events. Learn more at www.tomhopkins.com/blog.