| When was the last time you purchased a product | | | | self-esteem. Sales people should exude warmth, |
| based on the charm, professionalism, sincerity, | | | | friendliness, and an eagerness to offer solutions to |
| and effectiveness of the sales person? These | | | | the client's problems. They also should like their |
| types of sales people are rare, comprising nearly | | | | job and the products and services they are selling. |
| 2% of the "best of the best", in the selling | | | | If not they should not be in sales and can utilize |
| profession. They are the real force of their sales | | | | their talents in other professions. |
| organizations. The rest are average sales people - | | | | 3 - Motivation as a key to sales direction and |
| mostly "order takers", who do not know how to | | | | success |
| articulate value and solve their client's business | | | | The profession of sales is not a normal 9-5 job |
| problem. And of course, there are sales people | | | | with a desk, a personal computer, a phone, and a |
| that are actually a disgrace to the profession of | | | | cubicle. In fact, the most productive and highest |
| professional selling, doing precious little. | | | | paid professional sales reps do ALL non-sales |
| It is somewhat ironic that organizations spend a | | | | related activities, reports, power point |
| considerable portion of their earnings in developing | | | | presentations, etc, between 6-8AM and 6-8PM. |
| a sales force for their businesses but many do | | | | The sales day, prime selling time of 8AM-5PM is |
| not get proportionate returns. Habituated to | | | | devoted to getting "belly to belly" with decision |
| working on auto-pilot sales systems, non | | | | makers. A decision maker is defined as a |
| performing sales people find the going gets tough | | | | prospect, not a suspect that has need, desire, |
| when the system doesn't work in the normal | | | | financial capacity and authority. If the sales person |
| way. Despite having an apparently well qualified | | | | doesn't create prospects there is no work for |
| and experienced sales team as well as having | | | | him. Unless there are the required numbers of |
| good sales practices and processes in place, | | | | sales he will not keep his job for long. |
| organizations struggle. Their so called sales force | | | | To keep doing this 5 days a week all through the |
| actually present a picture that's close to a farce. | | | | year a sales person needs motivation. When the |
| You can avoid this and set your sales team on a | | | | market conditions are tough and the internal |
| path of success. | | | | conditions are far from perfect a sales person will |
| Here is how to go about it. | | | | require more motivation than normal to keep |
| 1 - The importance of sales leadership in an | | | | going. Some have the knack of motivating |
| organization | | | | themselves. Others rely on their sales managers |
| You need to have sales heroes in your | | | | or professional motivational sales trainers. |
| organization, at least one. There should be one | | | | 4 - The sales rep who solves the clients problems |
| sales hero, a leader that can lead from the front. | | | | and adds value succeeds |
| Sales leaders are master salesmen, experts in | | | | Each sales person brings his own unique |
| timing their sales calls, flawless in their | | | | personality traits in to sales. Some are sincere, |
| presentations, careful in their choice of words, and | | | | some are thorough with technical details, others |
| sensitive to the need of the customers. They do | | | | are helpful with after sales service. |
| not buckle under pressure. They also have the | | | | There are sales people that are good listeners. |
| capacity to inspire others with their hard and | | | | They listen to the client thoroughly and |
| intelligent work. Such leadership talents are vital | | | | understand the client's problems and offer |
| for an sales organization thrive and prosper. | | | | solutions. By bringing a little effort they add value |
| They are ever vigilant and tread on new paths | | | | to the service offered to the client as well as the |
| believing in the saying of Abraham Lincoln, "Things | | | | organization. |
| may come to those who wait, but only things left | | | | 5 - Successful sales people like to make money |
| by those who hustle". | | | | The profession of sales is a wonderful one where |
| 2 - Let go of the sales people that should not be | | | | at the one end of the spectrum there lies the |
| in sales | | | | possibility of job loss for non performance. At the |
| Some people are really not cut out for the sales | | | | other end of the spectrum lies the possibility of |
| profession. They don't believe in hard work, don't | | | | making a good living, earning respect you're your |
| like going out of their way to meet clients and | | | | clients and peers, and gaining a good reputation |
| discuss their requirements, and are constantly | | | | among colleagues. Successful sales people are |
| worrying about their monthly sales numbers. They | | | | driven by the zeal to solve client's business |
| participate in sales training workshops but learn | | | | problems, articulate value and a by-product of |
| little. They don't like meeting clients and | | | | that hard work is a healthy income stream and |
| understanding their problems. How can they sell? | | | | job security. That's quite healthy if ethical |
| Remember that sales is the highest paying hard | | | | practices are followed to achieve the aims. |
| work and the lowest paying easy work. | | | | Check out if your sales team has the above |
| The sales profession demands that sales persons | | | | mentioned characteristics. If the answer is no, find |
| should be extroverts and out going people | | | | out what is stopping you from incorporating |
| interested in meeting people, solving client's | | | | them? Save your sales organization from |
| problems with one-size-fits-one solutions. They | | | | becoming a sales farce and turn them in to a |
| should have healthy sense of self and | | | | potent sales force. |