Everyone sells. If you are into online business, you sell for money. If you attend an interview, you sell yourself to the board to get a job. If you are a proud parent, you sell your ideas to your children for emotional benefits.
Bloggers are no different.
Every person has some quality. Whether they be good or bad, the qualities a person has determines how good he is at what he does. When it comes to selling, a good salesman must possess certain qualities. These traits will help him sell very effectively in a short span of time.
Qualities of a Good Salesman
Quality #1: Self Esteem
A good salesman always believes that money is less important than their customer. Commissions will follow when you have a good customer base. Worry about keeping your customers happy and you wouldn’t need to think about keeping your bank balance happy. When you go after money, you fail.
In order to become a great salesman, you must first take pride in what you do, your product and your company. When you have confidence it shows and you will be rewarded with a sale.
Quality #2: Have a strong belief
I can’t stress enough on how much you should believe in your skills and the quality of your product. Sell products or solutions you believe will deliver quality and improve the life of your customer. If you feel that the person who is not buying your product is missing the opportunity, then you are on the right track.
Quality #3: Know yourself and your product
You should know your own capabilities. Do you think you can sell your product or service without irritating the buyer or making him think that he is doing himself a favor rather than him doing a favor for you? Are you confident that you can explain your product thoroughly? Are you ready to answer any questions your customer has about your product?
To become a good salesman, you must know your target market well. Understand and listen to your customers. If you understand your product well, that means you can opt for less hype and more meat.
Align yourself with your business values. Make sure that you standby what you believe in and never go beyond that.
If you know your business and the product, that makes it a lot easier. Not only can you clarify any doubts your customers might have, but also, you can help them uncover their wants and help them with your solution. You will be able to deliver over and above the price you charge.
Quality #4: Listening and communication skills
If you are going to sell, be prepared to listen carefully to your customers. They might have several questions regarding your product. They might be technical or personal. Make sure you sit with them, understand their concerns and clear their doubts. To do this, you need to have quality #3 I mentioned.
Your communication skills are also very important. Learn to come to the point straight without beating around the bush. You must be able to communicate the message in less time. Nobody has the patience to sit and listen to a half hour sales pitch. Be concise. But make sure that you give out all the necessary information.
People tend to avoid salesmen who are too talkative. Talk less. Let your customers speak more. Never enter into their personal space unless they are really comfortable with it. You must be able to deliver your sales pitch using the KISS (Keep It Short and Simple) principle. Try to motivate your buyer and not manipulate them.
Quality #5: Never stop learning
You should be continuously updated with tips in your field. If you are in the copywriting business, you could read copyblogger regularly. If you are into blogging, then problogger is one of the blogs you should read on a day-to-day basis. You should also interact with people and strive to learn something new every day.
People who sell more are those who continue to learn. Do you think you can learn everything if you do it for say 3-5 years? I don’t think so. Especially, if you deal with your own business.
Selling is an art as well as science. Since you are dealing with people, and people are never the same, selling is never the same. You should sell differently to different people.
12 Actionable Tips to Improve Sales
- Gain new customers everyday
- Pitch a new product to your existing customer and leverage your credibility to make that extra sale
- Retain your current customers
- Build trust with your clients
- Learn the art of sales motivation
- Provide excellent after sales service
- Help their customers understand their wants and provide an apt solution
- Listen to their feedback and improvise
- Sell based on the interest of both parties
- Give proper credit to whoever is involved in the sales process
- Sell based on ethics and values
- Use public relations to sell more
Now, it’s your turn. Do you understand how to become a good salesman? It is now time to take action. A person who can swim but does not, is only as good as a person who doesn’t know to swim.
About the Author: Adarsh Thampy is an inbound marketing consultant and blogger who loves to talk about getting more customers for your business. He blogs over at conversionchamp, where he talks about topics such as increase sales, conversion optimization, lead generation, search marketing and much more.