Introduction: “4 Qualities of the Successful Sales Professional”

I have decided to write this book to share with you my working life in the profession and to acknowledge the respect I have for all men and woman who have chosen selling as their profession. During my career I have added value to my work and benefited my clients and those around me by continuing to learn and improve in all aspects of the profession of selling.

This book has not been written as an A – Z guide of selling but rather as a guide to the qualities that should be perfected by anyone considering a career in selling; starting out, already in the profession or those who may be looking to kick start their career. As you read this book you will notice where I have highlighted points relating to the four qualities. There are three boxes for you to choose a rating (one being the most important) for your self audit and action plan.

I trust you will find what I have to say of help and encourage you to make your career in selling one that brings you the satisfaction and the income you would like to enjoy in life.

Chapter 1: Who Needs Who?

On all levels successful sales professionals regard their work as a career and strive to maintain their edge in the market and to always be ahead of their competition. Like all professionals they maintain their constant performance through discipline, training and continued learning to improve their ability to operate and perform at their best. They know they are totally responsible for their own success.

The market will always need the services of good salespeople and the need to maintain sales at all times is vital for a company’s survival. Retrenchments will be made in all other areas of a business but a company which reduces its sales activity will have no way out. It is cashflow that will determine the difference between whether it survives or goes under

To a large extent work in our society is based on an hourly rate and no matter how hard you work the rate remains the same. Your only chance to improve your income is to hope and trust that you will be noticed and rewarded with a few extra dollars per hour. This form of remuneration has its limits and you can never feel you are in control of your destiny. The greatest rewards from selling are in those areas where your remuneration is commission based on the level of your sales. Being paid in this way puts you in the perfect situation. There is no limit to how much you can earn.

All salespeople are personally responsible for their own success. They can only expect improved results and income when they understand that rewards will come from their own efforts and initiatives. Regardless of your background, if you are working in sales the opportunities to develop your expertise are available.

Some are thought to be born salespeople but even they continue to learn and adapt to remain successful and be in front of their competition. They know that the continuing changes in market conditions and the economy will always affect their life and their success.
 

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Chapter 2: Just the One

“What are you going to do when you leave school?”

Most of us have been asked this question. From our limited view of the world at the time I would be surprised if the answer was “I want to be a salesman / saleswoman”.

Like a good number of students I had no idea what I would be doing when my school days finished. I left at the age of fifteen and all I knew was I had to get work. My only experience was a summer holiday job I had when I was fourteen as a shop assistant in a large city menswear store. I didn’t realise it at the time but this part-time job was the start of a journey that would lead me to working in sales for the rest of my life.

Throughout my entire selling career I have believed that in order to survive and enjoy selling you need to set your goals, become a life long learner and take action. I see people in all walks of life unhappy in what they do and they really are in the words of the great trainer Dr Denis Waitley, POW’s (Prisoners of Work). I first heard Dr Denis Waitley speak some time ago when his address was entitled “Winning in the 80’s”. Over the years I have replaced the tape sessions with CD’s but the message he was giving in the 1980’s is still relevant today or indeed for any time in the future. I can say that I have never been a POW and further in this book I will explain how by being a constant learner and using all the resources now available you can achieve the standard of life you want.

Selling is a rewarding profession because you are meeting new people all the time and using your competence and experience to help them buy goods and services that satisfy their needs and wants. Whether you are starting out in the business of selling or kick starting your sales career there is no better time than now to understand the need for continued learning, making you the best at what you do, and creating a sound business and lifestyle.

 

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Chapter 3: Avoid Regrets

Too often I have heard people bemoan the opportunities missed in their working life. They always seem to be saying the same thing; WOULD’VE, SHOULD’VE, COULD’VE. Quite often in our daily lives we find that there seems to be little time left in the day to reflect on how we are doing at work and in our private lives. However, winners do make the time to evaluate and stay on course. Time is made to set goals and objectives and implement the habit forming techniques and methods to ensure they keep the promises they made to themselves and others.

To be a true sales professional you need to see yourself as a business and adopt the attitude of a business owner. All successful businesses big and small have a clear plan, vision, objectives and sound financial management.

The sales professional has developed the expertise to meet any changes in their market by always maintaining contact with existing, new and past clients as well as always prospecting for new business. Selling is not a science, meaning that if you follow a certain formula the result will be guaranteed. The outcome of any successful sale is the result of personally managing many factors in and outside your control. All top sales professionals know and understand that the work is not easy and appreciate that problems will occur, either predicted or unforseen and that no matter what happens all problems are normal.

In the every day practice of selling, results will not just happen, risks in many forms are there and your future income will not come without effort. Failure to develop the FOUR qualities of the sales professional will result in you not reaching your objectives of high achievement, income and the lifestyle you desire.

 

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Chapter 4: Attitude

Zig Ziglar, the famous American sales trainer, once said, “You can’t constantly perform in a manner inconsistent with how you see yourself.” He also said, “Your input determines your outlook, your outlook determines your output, and your output determines your future”.

All successful salespeople believe in expectation; they expect their presentation to go well, they expect the customer will buy and through their expectation the fear of failure fades away. They see themselves as successful and expect to win every time and for them it becomes a self -fulfilling habit.

Your attitude is the most powerful asset in your life and the profession of selling. The right attitude will pull you through the difficult times and help you keep all things in perspective. The good news is you have full control of how you think; you can be trained to develop a positive attitude if you take the time and make the effort. In sales you need to recognise that the only way to reach the level of satisfaction you want in income, work fulfilment and lifestyle is to have the right mind set, because without the armour of a positive attitude you will join the ranks of the victims.

Self belief is your survival tool to having a rewarding life as a salesperson. The ability to objectively look at what you do and to take the steps to carry out your goals will only come if you say to yourself regularly, “I want to and I can”.

 

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Chapter 5: Personal and Professional Development

You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Any form of business, and selling in particular, involves meeting and dealing with people as customers, clients and colleagues. The importance of creating a good first impression is quite often the difference between success and failure.

It is not too difficult to give yourself the best chance of a positive first impression and the opportunity for a successful business relationship.

You should hold yourself well to earn the respect you deserve, be your own person and not one of the followers. By being yourself you will develop your own confidence and style.

From the outset you need to understand that your personal presentation will not only cover your business but also your private life as you cannot develop one without the other. The selling profession is a way of living and whether you are working or socialising you need to appreciate this is a fact for the sales professional. Presenting yourself as a self assured, confident professional can only be complete if your personal life is stable and those near you are also understanding and supportive.

To be a true sales professional requires considerable commitment and effort to seek out and learn the habits that will set you apart from your competition. In the process you gain a sound reputation, income and a satisfying fulfilling life. Professionalism through personal development shows.

 

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Chapter 6: Planning

Many salespeople who want to be successful fail to plan because they are waiting for this, that or the other to happen first. They may have set their goals but are stuck on the spot, not knowing where and how to start. All the knowledge required to make you a success can be learnt from any number of people who have gone before.

Planning is the insurance policy that gives you the best possible opportunity to achieve your objectives and make your life as a salesperson a fulfilling one. How well you have planned will be decided in the outcome of the meetings you have with your prospects.

Plans, systems and strategies are the life blood of your business and are essential to making sure you maintain a constant stream of enquiries which in turn become customers. When developing your plans and how you operate remember they are only effective when you are face to face with clients and prospects. It is only when you have the opportunity to deliver your well prepared and thought out presentation that you will give yourself the chance to turn a prospect into a buyer.

To continue operating at your best you will need to always reflect on your performance when delivering your presentations. For example did you anticipate objections by being prepared with the answers to prospects’ questions? The sales professional will, through experience and learning, develop a system that addresses and satisfactorily implements the marketing, customer service and all the requirements to complete the sale and enhance the possibility of repeat business.

To be the leader in your market you should continually be looking at ways to improve your selling activity, as this will keep you ahead of your competition, and achieving sales. Planning is the most important part of everything you do in selling, yet it is the area that is neglected by salespeople. It takes time and effort to develop a workable plan and apply a program for your future career. For longevity in selling, the commitment needs to be made to make the effort, take the time to develop your business, and to not rely on hope and luck to earn you a stable, consistent income from a profession readily available to everyone.

 

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Chapter 7: Skills Development

It is rare to be born a salesperson, but I would suggest there is more opportunity for you to become a good salesperson than almost any other type of profession – regardless of your education and upbringing. The learning of skills and the gaining of knowledge require a very personal commitment and a level of discipline which may be difficult to find in your day to day working situation. Preparing for your self education is just as important as preparing any other area of your overall business plan. Time and effort needs to be allocated to develop your selling skills as they will determine whether you continue making sales.

These steps of a sale have always been the basis of selling and no matter what your products or services are they will remain fundamental to the process. The mastering of these areas of selling is only part of the whole, as the skill of a successful salesperson goes beyond the essential steps mentioned above. Selling requires the salesperson to understand, have the knowledge and feel for the sales environment, together with the dynamics involved in persuading and negotiating with a prospect.

Gaining your prospect’s attention, conducting your presentation, handling objections and knowing how and when to close are only some of the skills used in making a sale. No salesperson will ever be successful unless they have mastered the basics of selling, refined how they present themselves and how they demonstrate their product or service to the prospect. Your level of education in the techniques of selling will be proportional to your level of success in the profession of selling.

There is no short cut to the knowledge but there are many areas you can go to find the information and training required to be able to handle yourself in all selling situations. The development of your selling skills is your responsibility and if you have the desire to be successful, the commitment should be made as you will be the sole beneficiary.

 

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Chapter 8: Change Equals Opportunity

The Chinese character for CHANGE is the same as for OPPORTUNITY. Once you understand this you will welcome changes that affect you and look for the opportunities they always create. It is a fact of life that we live in a fantastically changing world, and you need to understand that when change occurs it is better to respond than react.

The strength of your career in selling will come from your planned investment of time and money in developing your attitude, knowledge, programs, systems and methods to protect you from adverse events.

To take advantage and recognise your opportunities in life and business requires you to have developed the attitude and self talk that keeps you alert to what is happening around you at all times.

Having the skills will give you the confidence to change and try new things so you can develop your life and enjoy the rewards that are there. Making a career decision is the easy part. However, once the decision is made, how you proceed will be the real measure of your success.

Habits formed over many years can be your worst enemy as they will hold you in your comfort zone with the blinkers on, holding you back from not only reaching your full potential but enjoying what you do. Without a healthy attitude towards change and the desire to welcome opportunities you will soon be left behind and become a prisoner of your work.

The opportunity to change and improve is available to us all and if you decide it’s all too hard or you can’t shake the old habits remember the tools, techniques and information are out there waiting to help you to make the change. Refusing to learn new skills and improve existing ones will keep you where you have been for years and deny you the opportunity to succeed in your life and enjoy the profession of selling.

Change is opportunity, the more changes there are the more opportunities there will be, and deciding that you will learn to be prepared for change will create for you the opportunities to be on your pathway to success.

 

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Chapter 9 + 10: Self Audit

Once the desire for change and improvement in your life is recognised the big step is to actively embark on the journey. However, not knowing where and how to start can be the first obstacle. It is at this stage you may find the going tough. Understanding and identifying your strengths is rewarding but it’s the weaknesses that need to be worked on so that your vision and objectives can be achieved.

It is essential to avoid the mistake of wasting time and money on your development and training if you have not first established the areas you want to see improved. You need to apply strategic thinking to your development and decide what you can use from what is available.

Perhaps one of the most difficult things for anyone to do is to look at themselves by way of a self audit and then ask others for help. We all have resistance to possibly finding that we fall short in some areas of our work and life.

No matter who you are, you have some things you already do well. You should discover what they are and recognise your strengths as it is on these you will build your sales career.

 

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Chapter 11: Where To From Here?

It’s time to set your agenda. Your career needs input if you are going to get a better output.

No matter how you see yourself, without exception you will have the “THING” you do well and if it is not apparent to you, your family, friends and those you work with will usually be able to tell you IF ONLY YOU ASK. During our lives we build a picture of who we are, learnt from parents, friends, colleagues, clients and even strangers. The view you have of yourself may be biased to the positive or to the negative depending on your life experiences. To move forward you need to be able to put yourself in the picture, pay attention to yourself and work towards being you and not be influenced by others in your business and personal life.

Today there is no excuse not to be able to get help in improving your business competence and undertake a self education program designed by yourself for yourself. Some salespeople make the whole selling process look effortless, however we all know it is not that simple. Those sales professionals who do make it appear effortless are the ones who work to a plan, are organised and respond (rather than react) to the market and events around them.

The business of selling is not rocket science. It can be mastered with the application of knowledge, skills, and techniques that are available for all of those interested enough to learn. Once you have established your “Steps to Action” and your learning pathway the next task is to research the sources of information. As I have mentioned there are many ways to source the information you need in the form of books, audio and visual media, seminars and conferences and even peer mentoring. The final decision will be yours. Base it on what you feel will best satisfy your requirements, the investment you have to make and the style of training you prefer.

 

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Chapter 12: So…

The profession of selling is one of the most rewarding ways to earn a living as the opportunities are unlimited, the day to day work is varied and no two days are the same. Provided you learn and continue developing yourself to be the best you can at all times you will ride out the ups and downs of your market and the inevitable changes in the economy and your life. The art of selling has been written about for many years and continues today with many forms of training and learning options available.

In this book I have set out the four qualities that all successful salespeople need to have if they are going to have a long term career built on a high level of sales and many satisfied customers As I have mentioned, we all have that THING we do well. You owe it to yourself to recognise what that thing is as your starting point for self education and improvement. After completing the exercises at the end of chapter’s four to seven and then the summary at the end of chapter ten you will have your starting point for developing and planning your learning pathway.

The secret of all knowledge is to apply what you know by taking the steps to change what you do in a planned approach today. Tomorrow is too late. Understand that the process may take time; there is no silver bullet or short cut to your success. Remember-getting started takes you half way there. All you need is some time out, a clean sheet of paper and the desire to address the task ahead. Just completing courses, attending conferences and seminars, for example, is not enough to secure your success in selling.

In my nearly 50 years of selling, from the part-time holiday job at 14 years of age to my current life selling real estate, I have enjoyed a great lifestyle. It has allowed me working freedom and leisure freedom. I have travelled throughout Australia on holiday and I have gone on extended overseas holidays to Italy, France and the United States of America. Through the years there have been many ups and downs but the knowledge, skills, and techniques I learned have resulted in my never being a prisoner of work, being able to take advantage of opportunities and always enjoying what I do; BEING A SALESMAN.

“A little book with a BIG message! The pages may be few, but the professional and personal lessons are many. Read, study and reap the rewards!”

Denis Waitley, author – “The Psychology of Winning”.

 

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