BY Rachel Cagle
People are all too willing to share the sales skills and tools they have gathered throughout the years with both newbies and veteran salespeople alike. These are useful tips that shouldn’t be overlooked. However, people don’t really talk about the personality traits you may already have that can help you succeed in sales. Here are some natural skills you can hone based on Don Ross's article for Salesforce, “The 7 Sales Skills that CAN’T be Taught.”
- Curiosity
The shaming of curious people with sayings like, “curiosity killed the cat,” stifles a useful skill in a number of professions. In sales, curiosity is a wonderful thing. It means that you’ll be more willing and eager to do your research into your clients and find out their needs and how best to communicate with them. Even after you learn them, that trait will drive you to keep that information up to date in your mind. Curious people are also informed.
- Resilience
This skill doesn’t necessarily mean being able change a “no” to a “yes” within the same meeting. The ability to bounce back from rejection, problems, and other negative experiences is a trait that you should build up. It’s all too easy to beat yourself up and sulk when things go wrong. Instead, resilient people channel those feelings into a drive to learn from their mistakes and better prepare for the future. Resilience can’t be taught. Don’t let negative people that lack it make you hide it away.
- Open-mindedness
Too many people are stuck in their ways. If something has worked for me more often than not, why change it, right? Wrong. The entire world is changing every day and that includes sales. Especially with the expansion of social media and other communications methods, clients are learning to expect more from salespeople. In order to keep up, you need to be open to the idea of learning new customer service methods and sales skills that will keep your clients happy. Open-minded people are generally more willing to sign up for that sales conference or read sales tips articles. Being open to change will help you grow.
- Empathy
The importance of being able to put yourself in your client’s shoes can’t be overstated. Identifying with your client means the difference between sincerity and strictly obligation when it comes to servicing them after the sale is complete. Clients take notice of sincerity and they appreciate it. That appreciation also means that they’re going to be more likely to trust you, feel comfortable enough to come to you with problems, and provide feedback without prompting. Empathy leads to trust and trust often leads to loyalty.
- Attention to Detail
This skill applies to every part of the sales process. From being able to read a room to ensuring that every part of a problem is solved, paying attention to the little things generally makes you more thorough. Thoroughness makes customers more happy and means you’ll be less likely to have to address a problem twice.