Top 5 characteristics (Hallmarks) of a Super Salesperson

Introduction

When I stand in front of an audience of Liverpool business people and suggest I am going to give them the definitive best 5 Beatles songs of all time, there is a ripple of mirth and everyone of them comes up with a different list. That’s fine. The same can be said if I try to come up with the the top 5 killer hallmarks of a super salesperson.

For the record my Beatles songs are:

• · Please please me – best early rock n’ roll
• · Hey Jude – best anthem
• · While my guitar gently weeps – George at his best
• · Eleanor Rigby – amazing innovative orchestration
• · Penny Lane – I had music lessons near there as a kid and it gave me a buzz every time (still does)

Start by asking some introductory questions:

Is a salesperson born or made? – Or Can anyone sell?
My answer is yes and no. We can all communicate and some people do find it easier (more natural) to drive a conversation than others. But there are techniques that can be taught and the good salesman will always be trying to get his skills better, to be more comfortable and natural with the sales techniques. Sometimes I do ask the question… why does everyone think they can sell without ever getting trained?

What are the objectives of selling?

To create / bring in profitable business now… to bring it forward. If the business is there anyway, that’s order taking.

Do we sell differently now than 10 years ago?

We certainly buy differently with many more on-line channels, so businesses need to think about maximising the effectiveness of their on-line presence, but is there still room for face to face salesmen? A key word is ‘adaptability’. But I find that in selling projects and major software solutions, the need for the sales meeting in the sales process is as important as it ever was, and the skills required to close for that meeting are as necessary as they were in the 1980s. The principles of success I would suggest remain for all selling.

So what are my top 5 hallmarks of the successful sales person. In this blog I am intend to provide the highlights and then delve more deeply in to each one in the coming series of blogs:

1. They walk and talk as if they are successful

A successful person (sales or otherwise) has Passion. They have the attitude of success. We know that success breeds success and this remains true. But this image, this mantle of success if you will, can be put on and learned. Zig Ziglar says “When your image improves, your performance improves” . Why is this key… to remove the risk of buying from you.

2. They get the process right?

Do you really know what activities must take place in order for your prospect to be in a position to place an order? Are these standard for your product or service and therefore do you have the information and supporting documentation available for every step of the way? All companies will have a different process. Do you know what yours is?

An interesting statistic being widely broadcast today is that less than 25% of sales reps follow-up after each call/meeting. Those that do follow-up sell 20%-30% more than those that do not. I firmly believe that the follow-up doesn’t happen because sales people were not expecting there to be the need for another step in the process and so have no means of managing the process at all.

3. They have a clear strategy / Target market.

Success does not happen by accident. A clear strategy and to only go to where there is confidence of success saves time and effort and successful people do not waste time. They know who they are going to call, and what they can do for them. This does not mean that the strategy is cast in stone, rather there is a clear knowledge of their own mission statement and what your company does. The blunderbuss (scatter gun) approach never works

4. They know their F A Bs

The Features, Advantages and Benefits of their product or service is known in forensic detail. They also know very well the reasons why companies buy, and there are only 3 – Money, Productivity and Image. Every detail of their product can be related to a benefit so the prospect knows exactly what he will get after purchase.. and that is the sizzle, not the sausage; the hole, not the drill.

5. Be interested in your prospect.

Successful people have a genuine interest in the prospect, both his business and him as an individual. He will listen listen listen and know what the old phrase ‘Sell - Don’t Tell’ really means. I love the adage: A great salesman knows what to say, a poor salesman says everything they know.

OH and I have a bonus point:

6. Good salespeople all have a good sales mentor

This may be your Partner, your Sales Manager or it could be Peter Carter of Corporate Information Systems.

And your bonus Beatles track: “I get by with a little help from my friends”