Selling skill and its training is very important and important, and as a professional salesperson it will always be our intention. It’s certainly not easy to handle many tasks at once, but by honing our sales skills, we can set ourselves up for success. If we want to learn how to be a better sales rep, we need to start by honing our basic sales skills. As a result, we will be better equipped to build effective sales relationships, close more deals, and become a leader for our team. With the help of many sales experts, we reviewed the top 19 sales skills every sales rep should know. In the following, we have divided them into categories based on the three main types of sales skills. Also, to read more articles about business organization, you can refer to the articles page.
Soft Selling Skills
Developing soft selling skills can be difficult. Some salespeople have these skills naturally. Some have to work to develop them. Here are the most important soft selling skills to work on as sales reps.
1. Curiosity
Curiosity is a sales skill tied to active listening. The fastest way to discover customer pain points is genuine curiosity. If we are truly passionate about understanding potential customers, they can feel it. Curiosity shows that we are not just thinking about sales and are interested in solving their problems. Plus, when we get to know potential customers, we can better respond to their needs.
When talking to potential buyers, pique your curiosity by asking important questions like:
•What challenges does your company or team face?
•What are your main priorities right now?
•Do you have trouble expressing your weaknesses?
How to improve: We should not stop here. Use the phrase (tell me more) to continue the conversation with potential customers. Not only will people enjoy talking about themselves and their problems, but we will have more opportunities to understand their views and needs.
2. Honesty
Transparency isn’t always easy, but it’s critical to building trust. No matter how tempting it is, we should always provide all the facts that the potential customer needs to know. Hiding certain details only hurts us in the long run, and telling the truth, although difficult in the short term, is reassuring in the long run. If our product or service isn’t a good fit for a customer, don’t be afraid to recommend other options that might serve them better. We should always provide all the facts that a potential customer needs to know.
How to improve: Hiding the facts may close the deal, but in the end, it’s never worth it because the customer might walk away unhappy.
3. Effective Communication in Sales Skills
Closing deals is nearly impossible without clear communication. A misunderstanding between a potential customer and a sales representative is probably the hardest step to reverse. When communicating with potential customers, take your time and tailor your words carefully.
How to improve this sales skill:
Communicate clearly with potential customers:
•Avoid jargon and use simple words (preferably terms that customers use)
•Pay close attention to your buyers to ensure they are engaged in the conversation
•Maintain eye contact and use hand gestures to keep the conversation alive
•Summarize feedback to ensure what the customer is saying.
4. The Ability to Tell Stories
Salespeople who are great storytellers can make even the driest of communications relatable and exciting. Because stories are often easy to remember and spark emotional responses. Combining stories with great sales pitches increases sales rates. So in this sales skill we need to keep potential buyers engaged by telling a story related to their situation. For example, if we are a B2B sales representative, talk about one of the client’s competitors who is at the same level as our prospect and explain how our product or service has contributed to that company’s success. We can also use testimonials and reviews as stories that pique the customer’s curiosity.
How to improve: No matter where we get our inspiration from, our stories should be concise and easy to understand. If our analogies are too long or complicated, we risk losing our audience. Write your story as simply as possible and then add fun and glamorous details.
5. Speaking in Public
Speaking in front of a crowd comes naturally to some. For others, the thought of talking to so many people at once makes them break out in a cold sweat. Whatever our situation, public speaking is an essential selling skill for salespeople. A dynamic and engaging speech can make an underselling product shine. But nervous or awkward speeches may kill the prospect’s interest in our solution.
How to improve: Start with the basics, make sure you have a clear voice and speak clearly.
Avoid looking at your audience and staring at your notes, as you want to convey confidence and enthusiasm. If we use slides, review them several times and run it in one step with the software to avoid technical problems. Let’s continue to learn as much as possible. Ask your friends and acquaintances for feedback and note down things to improve before the next presentation.
6. Ambition
No salesperson becomes successful overnight. Even if we work with a great company, our road to sales stardom will have a few bumps along the way. Ambition and determination are essential for anyone pursuing a lifelong sales career. A successful agent knows how to resist rejection, how to work under pressure, and how to be motivated beyond the call of duty.
How to improve: In most cases, we are either interested in something or we are not. That said, we can find certain things about sales that motivate us and light our fire. For this sales skill, try to re-frame daily tasks as stepping stones to long-term goals. Are we looking for a certain amount of sales? Or are we trying to get promoted? Are we looking to start our own company? Be ambitious about your dream, because the steps to achieve it will be exciting.
7. Compatibility
The sales industry is constantly changing. From market prices to selling styles and engagement channels, there’s always something new for a salesperson to learn. The best salespeople know that there is no such thing as a perfect strategy. Because every quarter new challenges arise with new trends.
How to improve: We need to challenge ourselves to change our tactics and try new ways. If we’re making progress selling from social media but stalling when it comes to phone calls, we need to take the time to practice it. Ideally, we can get to the point where trying new things is just part of the job.
Process-Oriented Sales and Marketing Skills
Process-oriented sales and marketing skills are all about preparing for success in the sales process. Basically, they are more about doing our homework and constantly working to improve our methods and techniques. As a result, these skills increase our ability to convert leads and increase our sales numbers.
8. Product Knowledge
When we have a deep understanding of the product we are trying to sell, we can provide an accurate picture of the benefits it provides to potential customers. We are also better able to field customer questions and deal with objections during the sales process. This particular skill helps sales reps take control of the conversation and close it in the perfect moment.
How to improve: Build our knowledge by closely following customer feedback to learn about first-hand product experiences.
9. Ability to Teach
The ability to teach is a very important selling skill for managers. In sales management, we need to train new agents and guide them to their maximum potential. If we can’t teach, our team won’t be set up for success. Of course, this skill is also useful for sales representatives. A persuasive salesperson is always looking to educate prospects rather than empower them. Our expertise builds trust among buyers as we help them get the answers they need. Specify questions and always be ready to answer fully and accurately. If we see our role as educating someone about a product or service, rather than directly asking them to take out their wallet and pay for it, they will do so willingly.
How to improve: When talking to potential customers, provide them with the information they need to make an informed decision by explaining ideas.
10. Conversion
There is no one right way to convert customers, but we must constantly refine our sales techniques and skills.
Try a consultative selling approach and take the pressure off by helping customers discover their pain points. Then, emphasize how our product can solve their problems. Arm yourself with information so you can answer their questions and address any concerns. Talk to prospects as if we’ve already made the sale. Show them that we are sure they will find the product or service valuable. Use the fans of your brand. These loyal customers are our company’s biggest fans, so they will happily buy our products or services. They can also provide the real success stories we need to seal the deal.
How to improve: It’s smart to learn a variety of practical sales techniques so you can turn more nos into yeses. Always be optimistic, even when sales close. A customer may not decide to buy now, but may need our product or service later. Or they might be so enamored with our sales methods that they make a referral.
11. Time management
Time management helps you prioritize the most critical activities and do them effectively.
Successful salespeople recommend performing high-yield tasks at the right time. Avoid getting caught up in things that keep us busy but not productive. For example, instead of spending the day chasing down unqualified leads, we could spend that time pursuing promising leads or prospecting to keep our sales funnel full.
How to improve: Time management sales skills are not formed by sheer willpower alone. Use workflow tools such as sales CRM to automate manual tasks (such as data entry and information access) to save time.
12. Technology
2020 was a year when many things changed. With so many customers now eager for video calling, sales teams are turning to virtual selling. And knowing how to use technology is now a sales skill to stay relevant.
How to improve:
•Be ready to learn how to use new tools to sell better.
•Keep abreast of new sales technology by following industry trends published in trade publications.
•Learn from thought leaders who share their insights on social media.
13. Discovery
Prospecting is a critical sales skill because it keeps a steady flow of leads down our sales funnel. Even if we are a good salesperson, we always need new leads to make sure we have plenty of opportunities to close deals.
How to improve: Set aside time in your calendar to find new clients. Get to know them through their social media profiles to turn cold calls into warm ones. We can also ask for referrals from existing customers, which makes it easier to reach potential customers.
Sales Process Improvement Skills
A good sales process is the foundation of any successful sales organization. Learn how to improve your sales process and close more deals.
14. Conflict Management
Conflicts arise in the sales industry. Even small conflicts (or objections) by a customer can irritate a salesperson who is not used to dealing with rejection. High-performing salespeople must be prepared to calmly accept aggression or resistance and then turn that negative energy around. A great sales rep can turn almost any prospect into a customer.
How to improve: Try using sales guidelines for stressful situations during a role-play exercise with your sales team. Some conflicts are more difficult than others, but mastering the basics can greatly reduce the tension.
15. Social Sale
While we shouldn’t rely solely on social media to engage with our potential customers, engaging on multiple platforms can significantly improve our chances of making a sale. Smart engagement and social selling can also seriously increase our conversion rates. In this sales skill, we communicate with our target audience by commenting, liking and sharing customer posts. But B2B organizations especially need to be well versed in the appropriate behavior of the company on different sites.
How to improve: Look at how your competition is engaging on social media. Let’s check what platform are our competitors operating on? What tone of voice do they use? Do they regularly respond to customer reviews? Matching the style of our current competitors will likely attract similar customers to our social media channels.
Prospect-Focused Sales Skills
Prospect-focused selling skills revolve around our customers. These are the skills we practice in the field that directly impact our ability to convert leads and improve our sales percentage.
16. Persuasion
Good salespeople don’t pressure prospects, they convince them. It is better to use sales psychology to ensure that we convince the customer instead of pressuring him. This type of ethical selling helps both parties win. We make a sale and the buyer receives a product or service that solves their pain.
How to improve: This starts with strong product knowledge. When we have all the facts, it’s easier to deal with objections and impress potential customers. When talking about your product, explain how specific features translate into direct benefits for the prospect, such as saving time or money. Highlight potential customers by introducing customers who have solved their problems with our product or service.
17. Empathy in Sales Skills
Try to walk in the shoes of our buyers to understand their needs. If we can see our company and product from their perspective, we can better create a customized sales plan for them. Remember, customer service is an important part of sales. Empathize with our potential customers, solve their problems and treat them the way we want to be treated.
How to improve: To improve this selling skill, ask questions like, what are your goals? Let’s begin. Or why solving this problem is important to you?
To discover pain points while our prospect is talking, take notes to get ideas for personalizing your plan later in the sales process.
18. Active Listening
An important part of selling is listening more than talking. Listening helps you gather valuable information, which in turn helps you sell well. When we listen, people explain in detail what problem they are trying to solve, and we learn how to frame our plan. Unfortunately, not all agents have this salesmanship. In one study, buyers reported that only 26 percent of salespeople were good listeners.
How to improve: Improve your listening sales skills by not interrupting the buyer while talking. Instead, make a mental (or physical) note of what you want to say, write it down, and speak when you’re done. Ask good questions and listen to the customer’s answers to get useful details. Paraphrasing what the customer has said can ensure greater understanding and show them that we are listening.
19. Building Relationships in Sales Skills
Relationship building sets us apart from our competitors. When we invest in building relationships, our clients see us as a partner helping them achieve their business goals, not a salesperson desperate to make money. While building sales relationships takes a lot of effort, our hard work will pay off in the long run.
How to improve: Engage with potential customers on social channels such as Instagram, LinkedIn and Telegram. Leave your comments on their posts and share them with your network. Ask about their interests outside of work and get to know them on a deeper level. When building a relationship, it’s also important to admit mistakes and keep a sense of humor.
Up to Sum
We can master these selling skills by consistently practicing them, so that we are aware of the application of each of these tips when guiding a buyer through the sales process. To help improve our sales skills faster, we can read sales books, talk to more experienced salespeople, or attend sales training sessions. And remember that no great salesperson was perfect from the start. Instead, they honed their sales skills while practicing every day. Stay with the specialists of Uprodemy website to get business advice and international trade.
