Traits of a Good Salesperson

The art of attracting customers is an extremely difficult thing to do, no matter what type of service or product you provide. In order to develop a loyal customer base and garner more traffic, companies need salespeople to market their services correctly and efficiently, bringing in revenues and reaching out to customers that wouldn't even give it a second look. In order to really sell a product or service well, salespeople must develop skills that will attract others. It's calculated persuasion. Here are some tips on how to be a great salesperson, no matter what it is you are trying to sell.

Get over your embarrassment.

Many people complain about their not being able to sell anything because the customers just don't want their products. Most of the time, it's because they haven't tried all of the possibilities out there. Getting your hands on as many people as you can, make sure you try to contact each person at least twice. People who aren't really good at sales make the mistake of giving themselves excuses in order to not have to contact someone. If you're in sales, it's what you have to do. There will always be rejections, second thoughts, and people who detest soliciting. Even so, your job as a salesperson involves you to do whatever it takes to make that person a potential customer. Forget about having a 100% success rate. Give everyone a try, and if they have their own ideas, then just move on.

Know your information.

If you are trying to sell a product, know everything about it inside and out. If someone comes to my door trying to sell some miracle product that removes all stains (BESIDES Oxy-clean), he or she will have to have sufficient knowledge about the product. If not, it's time to leave my doorstep. A salesperson must have all knowledge relating to whatever it is they're trying to market, and only then will a potential customer be even slightly interested. And that's when the questions will keep coming, something you need to be prepared for. Being able to knock out every single question and relieve any doubt a customer has is a powerful tool in developing the interest of a customer. A salesperson who knows what he or she is talking about is a salesperson that a customer can truly trust and depend on. They feel that any and all of their problems, questions, or concerns, have been properly addressed by you, the salesperson.

Attract.

Just like in the jungle, you as a salesperson needs to attract mates. Peacocks flap the hell out of their wings in order to attract potential mates, and salespersons need to do the same. If you are going door to door trying to sell something such as chocolates, you need to make your introduction extremely quick, exciting, and engaging. After all, your potential customer can just as easily buy chocolates anywhere he or she pleases, so what makes you so special? Coming in with a line that shows how your product or service is unique or special is sure to pique interests. By making your starting argument attractive, you have essentially put your foot into the door already.

Stop trying to sell. Offer.

People hate when others get in their faces and try to recite an overused and boring sales pitch. Just like spam email, they already know you're up to no good, and all you want is money. In order to lower a potential customer's resistance level, you need to be a sociable salesperson. Start the conversation off with something that doesn't necessarily involve what you are trying to sell. It is recommended that you use real life examples in order to engage the customer.

If you market your service or product right, you won't need to much your sales on a potential customer. If someone is genuinely interested in what you have to sell, then he or she will make further arrangements.

Avoid negatives.

Even if it is just to state a point, stay away from coming off as defensive. In terms of psychology, saying anything negative will drive a wedge between your sales and your customer. People don't like hearing anything that isn't positive, although they will rarely state it. They themselves may not even realize it.

Also, never mention anything negative about what you are trying to sell. Any one remark can change the outcome of your efforts, so you don't want to take a step backwards after coming so far.

Have empathy.

In order to really make yourself sound convincing, you will need all of the empathy you can get. Being able to put yourself in a customer's shoes is an important quality for a good salesperson to possess. If you don't think from the viewpoint of who you are trying to sell to, how is it possible that you could say anything that could make an impression on him or her? By realizing what it is that people would like most about this product, you really put things in perspective, not just from a sales viewpoint. The potential customer will sit down and think, "Wow, this salesperson really has my best interests in mind."

Being a great salesperson takes a lot of practice, experience, and smart thinking. Each customer is different, so make sure to schedule things around each individual's personal needs. Being aggressive or overbearing are things that are sure to lose you customers, so be friendly and convincing, but leave people their space. And once again, you will never be able to please everyone, so swallow your ego and move on.