What Does it Take to be a Successful Sales Professional Today?

"It is not your customer's job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure that you do your job so well, so professionally, that they don't have a chance to forget you." — Patricia Fripp

Common sense tells you that your approach to selling is essential to the success you generate. So, from what I see and hear from some of the most successful sales professionals out there today, it's critical that you possess a unique set of 3 attributes to be successful in today's selling market.

1. Empathy

Most people think that selling is the same as talking. But the most successful sales professionals know that listening is the most important part of selling!

EMPATHY is the ability to identify with your customers, to FEEL what they feel. It's understanding their problem and their pain. Empathy is NOT sympathy, which involves a feeling of loyalty.

It is more about understanding their concerns from their perspective. A salesperson showing empathy gains the customer's trust and establishes rapport quickly.

This allows YOU to read your customer correctly, show empathy, and demonstrate your interest in providing a great solution to their problem.

It's the ability to identify and react accurately to their behavior as well as the emotions of your customer to identify their feelings and frustrations. You know you're getting it right when the customer says to you, "We FEEL like you get us; you understand us!"

2. Focus

Focus on helping people and your goals; you don't need to look in any other direction; the rest will handle itself.

A sales professional's FOCUS is internally driven to help them accomplish their goals while having a passion for helping people. They're more demanding of themselves in these areas than anyone.

Focus produces the best results when it is balanced with empathy. You then see a person who listens and identifies with the customer while at the same time staying focused on their goals.

When you're focused, you are goal-orientated and can articulate your goals clearly with a pre-determined timeline. You know what you want to accomplish because you always keep it in front of you.

Focused salespeople don't depend on managers for direction, guidance, or motivation; they possess the self-discipline, self-motivation, and intentionality needed to care for their customers while being diligent about developing new business from lead generation and prospecting.

3. Responsibility

When you take full responsibility for your success, you discover just how powerful you truly are!

A sales professional with a strong sense of responsibility does not place blame on other people. They OWN their results or lack of them. They get things done, and when obstacles or challenges occur, they take charge to solve the problems themselves.

They don't get defensive or blame the situation or circumstances on their lack of success. They stop, look at where they're getting off the sales process, re-assess and go back to work doing all the little things it takes to succeed as a sales professional.

They possess a fantastic sense of urgency, as exemplified by their need to see the sale process brought to a resolution quickly. They anticipate obstacles and objections and evaluate alternatives before re-acting.

Responsible salespeople don't make excuses, maintain a positive outlook toward situations and people, and accept valid criticism and suggestions for performance improvement.

Conclusion

Today I will be a sales professional and learn something that will make me even more of a professional tomorrow! - Zig Ziglar

A sales professional is?an expert. They train daily and continuously learn to be better at their craft.

They know and understand their product so well that they can give the customers insight, not just what they read on the internet, but real insight into who they are and what they do.

A sales professional isn't worried about the sale; they know that sales fall out like rain if they do their job correctly and follow the process!

I love this profession of selling, don't you?