Are You SURE You Know How To Sell...?

Sales is an industry that quite literally anyone can get into. It is a job that you can do without any prior knowledge or experience, all you need is a positive and outgoing personality.

This is all very good as it provides an opportunity for so many people, but does everyone that works in sales actually know how to sell......?

I've been fortunate enough to have had some of the best sales training out there, but in some of the companies I had worked for in the past there was no sales training at all!

Would you let a plumber fix your pipes if he had no training at all? Would you eat at a restaurant if the chef had no training?

Whilst personality is a key component in sales, true success comes down to knowledge and experience. In sales you need to know about sales processes and the individual stages. You need to know how to effectively prospect, how to identify needs, how to listen, present solutions and close the sale. Then there's account management, how to get repeat business and referrals, the list goes on.

There are a lot of people out there who will claim to know how to sell, it's a common salesperson trait to be able to "talk the talk"!

The question to ask yourself is.....Are You SURE You Know How To Sell?

These are the 3 key areas you need to think about:

• Have you had any formal sales training? Are you certified to sell? Have you had more than just "internal" sales training?
• Do you have a sales process model that you use? A model that guides you from prospecting all the way through to closing and follow up?
• Do you try to better yourself at selling? Have you read any sales books? Listened to any sales seminars?

For some people out there the only training they get for selling is when they start their role and that is usually only a small amount of training and very specific to that company. Whilst it's important to have internal training there is so much information and external training/support that could help you achieve more.

Personally I am very passionate about the world of selling and so here are my key tips to help you expand your knowledge of sales and truly know how to sell:

1) Buy A Sales Book! Then buy another, and another.... The first sales book I ever read when I was at school was "The Sales Bible" by Jeffrey Gitomer. This is a brilliant book that goes into some great detail into techniques and strategies that will improve your sales results. Chapters include How to WOW the prospect, Cold Calling, Presentations, Objections, Closing, persistence and many more. There are so many good sales books out there and it is a very good investment to make. Have a look in your local book store or search the internet. Whether the book teaches you something, or motivates you, it should enhance your knowledge and provide more power and skill to succeed. There are some good book recommendations here.

2) Use LinkedIn and I mean REALLY use LinkedIn - If you are reading this post it is very likely that you are using LinkedIn! However, are you really using it? Are you following key sales people across the globe who post about selling? Are you a member of any sales groups and do you actively participate. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to connect/follow and engage with the best sales people in the world, all from your own computer, make the most of it!

3) Find Successful Sales People - Do you surround yourself with inspiring, motivating and successful people? It may not always be easy, but it can have such a powerful effect. You can't always change who you work with in your office, but you can change how much you take from it. Use your computer to connect with successful people, find people locally or within your company who are good at what they do, who are passionate, and spend time with them. Positivity and negativity rub off, so which do you want to be influenced by?

 4) Do Some REAL Sales Training - Firstly there are plenty of online courses that you can do for FREE! It's worth remembering that if it's free then it won't always be as valuable or beneficial as a paid course. Have a look for local or online courses and ask your manager. There aren't too many managers that will say no if you put a proper case and can show the potential return on investment for them. If you work in sales then you should have no problem selling your own training and development to your manager!

5) Go To Business  and Networking Events - There are always business and networking events happening around you, take some time and go to a few. Some of the larger business shows offer a fantastic opportunity to meet some very inspirational people. They usually offer some great seminars by leading experts, give you the chance to meet and speak with them and also connect with potential customers or connections. Most proper business shows are free to attend so well worth looking into.

What do you think? In your opinion what do you think it is that you need to truly "know how to sell"? Please write your thoughts in the comments box below.

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 If you enjoyed this post please take time to read some of my other recent posts.

 The 50 Most Inspiring Sales Quotes Ever

 How To Make Cold Calling Fun!

 The BEST Sales Closing Tip Ever....

I write regular posts and blogs on Sales, Social Selling, LinkedIn and Sales Leadership . If you work in sales make sure you check out The Daily Sales as well!