8 Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople

There are many skills and traits that help define successful salespeople. These traits are beneficial regardless of whether you sell products, services or your ideas. Developing these skills will benefit every entrepreneur and business owner who must deal with others to transact business.

Consider the following as your personal asset inventory, each is well beyond any amount of monetary value, yet each is capable of helping you generate great financial returns.

1. Be sold on yourself.
You must believe in your gut that you are both worthy of success and capable of achieving it. You must believe that you offer great value to others, confident of your worth in any transaction. You must confidently accept yourself as the most capable person in your field, able to offer your customers amazing value.

2. Develop and maintain a sales plan.
Just as you cannot hit a target you cannot see, you must have goals and a plan to achieve them if you are to have any direction and success in your career. Once your plan is written, you can begin executing it. In a logical, step-by-step manner, you will achieve those goals and fulfill your plan. A plan gives you necessary direction to act upon.

3. Understand the value of a strong first impression.
Our customers begin to size us up within seconds of our first contact, whether you are calling on the phone or visiting them in person. You must wow them, convincing them that you alone offer the solutions they seek. You must instill a seed of faith so that they will trust you for a continuing relationship.

4. Pursue continuous learning and training.
If you want to earn more, then you have to learn more, first. Our world is changing so quickly, demanding that we stay current with our existing skills while concurrently developing new ones to allow us to adapt to changing markets and requirements. Continuously learning new skills is critical to your success.

5. Become an effective communicator.
Communication begins with first exposure. It involves not only our oratory skills, but even more importantly, our listening skills. We must develop the art of effective questioning. We must also become skilled at reading the body language of our prospects and customers.

6. Use time wisely. Become highly productive.
Many people tend to meander through their work day, floating from task to task or simply doing what comes along. This is not the schedule of a successful salesperson. You need to work your plan, scheduling appointments and complete planned tasks in a timely manner. Non-productive time during the work-day will cost you. Eliminate distractions. Focus and stay focused.

7. Realize that technology is a tool, not a crutch.
I love using high-tech sales tools as much as anyone, but they do not define my presentation. Are you capable of delivering your sales presentation if your projector burns out or you experience other technological failures? If not, your tools have become a crutch. Remember, you are the presentation. It is your knowledge, skills and experience that will provide the solutions your customer needs.

8. Genuinely care about others.
People sense disconnect. We sense dishonesty. We sense insincerity. If your attitude is all about yourself, that selfishness will permeate the environment you work in. However, if your desire is to genuinely help others, your customers will sense that as well. You will be welcomed as the sort of person that they want to do business with. This is not something you can fake.

These are not the only effective habits of successful salespeople. Additional skills will develop and are built on the backbone of these core strengths. Being successful in your ability to influence others begins with your belief in yourself and the depth of your values.

Master these eight skills and you are well on your way to enjoying a successful sales career. 

...........................
Daniel Sitter
Author

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Comments

[John Leach]

HI Daniel,

Another great post. #8 is my favorite, and at least in my mind the most critical.

John Leach

[Lewis Green]

Daniel,

Be sold on yourself. If we don't believe in ourselves, our products and our services, why would anyone else?

[MorganLighter]

Daniel,
Another seminal piece from you, thanks.
I would rank #1 as number one, then #6 and then #8 with the remainder in any order.

[Albert]

Hi Daniel, found your blog through the group writing project, and I have to say I like it a lot. The first point is truly the most important - if you are sold on yourself, everything else will fall into place, given time!

[Neena (NeenMachine)]

Self confidence is the hardest to acheive because you must continue to believe even though others do not.

[Lawrence Cheok]

Hi Daniel,

I have to agree with Albert. I also found your blog through the group writing project.

Pt #8 rings with me. Too many salepeople fail because they put the sales/transaction before the benefits of the customers.

You have my vote for this contest. :)

[Al at 7P]

Great list. "Genuinely care about others" is so important, it probably should be number 1 or 2 on the list.

[Monika @ The Writers Manifesto]

Hi Daniel,

I came here from the Litmind GWP and glad I did. This is a great overview on what it takes not only for success in sales, but also in life.

[Rolf Visser]

Is there any research done on whether a goat tee has an influence whether a customer will close with someone that has a goat tee over a sales person without? and is this not dependant upon the fact how mature a sales person looks? In my last professional sales training we were told that younger sales professionals that look immature might choose to grow their moustache or goat tee in order to look more mature. Do you have any advice on this.

[Henry Mbata A.K.A. The Jedi - 3D Modeler, animator, visual effects artist and trainer]

Hi, Daniel
Thank you so much for such insight into the world of sales,I like especially the fact that the ultimate sales person is one who cares about others,since there are so many selfish sales people on earth, when one is caring, he is in fact left with no competition in his field

Thank you once more

Henry Mbata A.K.A. The Jedi
3D Modeler, animator, visual effects artist and trainer

http://www.henrythejedi.com