A robust set of sales skills can ensure that your career develops in the way that you want it to and that you’re able to continue to evolve with the demands of your role. Whether you’re looking to improve current performance or take some steps up the ladder, dedicating time to improving your sales skills is going to be vital to progress. If you want to continue to move ahead in your career then you need to focus on improving these key skills.
Communication
Being a clear and effective communicator is vital in sales. Focus on refining your written and verbal communication skills and building confidence in connecting with people at all levels.
Problem solving
If you’re good at sales then you’re good at problem solving. This process isn’t about closing a deal and taking a customer’s cash but offering them a solution to their problem. Get good at solving the problems that you’re presented with, as well as learning how to anticipate future issues that haven’t arisen yet.
Being able to demo a product
This is a skill that can only be learned and one that improves every time you do it. Make sure your demonstration is easy to follow and makes it clear what the next steps should be.
Deep product knowledge
There is no reason anyone should buy from you if you’re not able to answer questions about a product and provide a deep level of insight into why it’s the right one for your customer. So, make sure that you spend time on acquiring product expertise and understanding why what you’re offering is so relevant to your target customer.
Business insight and understanding
Sales doesn’t operate in a vacuum and the more understanding you have of the wider business the more you’ll be able to use this in your sales process, and in advancing your career. Focus on understanding the business that you’re working in, how other key departments relate to sales and what the overall strategic direction is.
Strong negotiation
Being able to negotiate effectively isn’t about winning or overcoming the competition. It’s having the skills to create mutually beneficial outcomes that pave the way for long term ongoing relationships. Once you learn how to do this then you can apply it at every step of your career, from dealing with customers to negotiating your contract.
Social selling
Given the vast attention we now all pay to social media it’s clear that this is a channel where salespeople need a strong skill set. Avoid overdoing promotional posts and spamming your followers and instead learn how to optimise your professional profiles to attract customers to you.
Following up
Only 2% of sales are made after the first contact so having the skills to be able to follow up is vital to getting a result.
Closing techniques. This could be using any number of techniques, from a summary closing - where you summarise the deal - to a now or never deal opportunity that creates a sense of urgency. Find the techniques that work best for you.
If you’re keen to improve your sales skills these are the areas to focus on. Find out more by booking onto our Advanced Sales Skills training course...