Tomorrow, the second Friday in December marks National Salesperson Day, a day dedicated to honoring the hard work of sales professionals, as well as the natural evolution of the salesperson job itself, which in large part has changed along with our digitally-driven culture. The terms “cold calling” and “male-dominated” were used to describe the sales job – but not today where new demands and customer expectations have carved out a new role.
A good salesperson is someone who is familiar with the market, stays informed and knowledgeable on all products and strategies, is available to answer customer questions, and in some cases, track inventory and complete purchase orders. The art of selling is very much a learned skill.
Sean Evers, VP of Sales at Pipedrive, provides insights on the best five practices each sales professional can implement in their own role to help master the art of selling in 2023 and beyond.
Genuinely believe in what you are selling
Every sales process generally consists of five steps – from prospecting to presentations to closing the deal. But what makes each step easier and more attractive to a customer is when the sales professional is genuine in speech when discussing his product or service. Not only does it naturally boost the confidence of the salesperson, but it also helps to build a meaningful relationship throughout the customer journey.
Genuine belief triggers emotions, inspires hope and equips the salesperson with the right language to describe the benefits of the purchase. What’s more, building a connection based on trust decreases the likelihood of customers feeling deceived or manipulated into making a purchase that they don’t actually need or might regret in the future.
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People buy experiences, emotions and solutions, not things
A good salesperson understands that exceptional customer experiences are driven by emotion and not so much by products or solutions. The most successful salespeople know how to create an environment of curiosity, engagement and excitement.
The act of eliciting these emotions can sometimes turn robotic if done disingenuously and one can get caught up in the strategy of making the sale – which is the quickest way to break the human connection with the customer. Instead, lean back if needed, make the conversation casual and let the customer take the floor.
Tech adoption is key to driving sales
Data from Pipedrive’s State of Sales and Marketing report indicates that just over half (54%) of salespeople spend most of their day on selling, meaning that administrative tasks tend to pile up and decrease time available to actually sell. Data from the same survey also shows that sales professionals who adopted the technology and automated their sales and marketing tasks were 16% more likely to achieve their sales targets. They were also 22% more likely to be satisfied with the available tools.
The right digital tools and CRM platforms, if used appropriately, help to automate administrative tasks, identify key data insights and improve customer relationships – making anyone more successful.
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Use rejection as fuel to master new skills
In sales, facing rejection every now and then is inevitable. Not every lead makes it to the bottom of the sales funnel, even if you try to do everything right. When an effort fails, the key to continued success is to remain optimistic despite the rejection and reflect upon each interaction with customers. This helps to understand what went wrong during the sales process or what could be improved in the future.
The practice of refining your sales techniques to evolve with ever-changing industry demands highlights your commitment to self-growth and demonstrates excellent leadership skills. With every “no” comes an opportunity to collect insight, identify commonalities and pivot to refine your personal style.
Customer first, always
Although the ultimate goal of every sales professional is to make a sale, it’s far better to build and maintain a trusting customer relationship by not over-selling. Trust is the most valuable currency in any relationship and often giving up short-term success bridges the way to later wins and bigger sales.
By understanding your customer’s needs, you can help them decide on what specific solutions are best for them throughout every interaction – showcasing your level of expertise and genuine desire to help not just sell.