How To Be Successful In Sales

When you understand how to be successful in sales, you open up a door to a highly profitable career. Sales is a highly competitive field, and most sales associates and representatives make most of their money off of commission. Learning how to be successful in sales will allow you to boost your income, and maybe even land a promotion in the near future.

1. Ask, don't tell. No one likes to deal with a pushy salesperson. Instead of shoving the benefits of your product or service down the prospect's throat, first figure out whether what you're peddling is a good match for them. Ask if they're currently using a similar product or service. If so, ask what improvements they'd like to see in the product or service. Only then will you be able to figure out if what you're selling is something they'd like to buy. Asking questions builds trust and saves both you and your prospect from wasting time if you're not on the same wavelength.
2. Be instinctive. Read your customer's body language or tone of voice. Are they hesitant, fidgeting or seem to be wandering away from the conversation? If so, pull them in with more questions. If you feel it's a lost cause for the time being, say, “I'm sensing this isn't a great time to talk. Here's my contact information, call or email me if you ever need anything in line with our offerings.” The prospect will appreciate your consideration, and just may call at a later time.
3. Plant seeds. Going off from our last point, always give your contact information to a prospect that isn't ready to buy. Truthfully, most of the time they won't call back. However, sometimes they do call or they may forward your information to a friend. Over time, if you plant enough seeds, you'll have people that are ready to buy practically knocking down your door. This is one of the most effective ways of being successful in sales.
4. Never give a sales pitch. Many companies (especially outbound calling companies) have a sales pitch sheet filled with rebuttals to use in situations where customers are hesitant to make a purchase. Throw the information in that sheet out the window, and focus on helping your prospect get what she wants. If you've already built some level of trust (see step one), your prospect will feel as if she's talking to an actual person, rather than an automated rebuttal machine. Don't screw it up by spewing sales-driven phrases. When your prospect trusts you, you'll be successful in sales.
5. Find a solution to their problems. If you focus on finding a solution to your customers' problems, you're more likely to make a sale than if you chose a pushy salesman approach. Does she need a new TV, but is on a tight budget? If so, help her get on a store financing plan that will allow her to make monthly payments. Use your wits to find a viable solution to your prospect's problem. Being a problem solver transitions into being successful in sales.

When it comes to being successful in sales, it all comes down to being a people person. Get to know your prospects, find out what they need, be personable and sympathetic and focus on helping them rather than putting money in your pocket. Only then will you truly learn how to become successful in sales and rake in fat commission checks.

Resources:

Entrepreneur.com: Ten Rules of Sales Success