It could be affirmed today, that the concept of sales as such is revalued. The market, advertising media, communications and, above all, the needs of people at any socio-economic level, have changed towards a plane of greater agility in purchasing, where the service and competitive added values are better, than even the same price.
In fact, companies have a clear objective. Be more dynamic in its strategic management. Competing with constant improvement processes, integrating high levels of quality in the training of its commercial and administrative staff, in service, sales and generous investment in marketing policies.
That's fine. But it would be worth knowing if the people who work for the company meet the profile of experience, knowledge and above all those attitudes and skills that make the difference of an ordinary person to those of a winner par excellence.
That is the point
It is to these personal qualities that I want to refer you in this article.
People who are hired by companies to hold positions in the commercial area, usually require a profile of sales experience, good presentation and who want to earn a lot of money.
From my experience as a consultant and director of sales groups, I want to share with the people who read this article, my humble point of view about the right or wrong situations that make salesmen unsuccessful or successful, happy or bitter individuals.
Let's start by talking about reality.
If we look and analyze carefully the individuals who make up a sales force of any company, most of them are people with many years of experience in any profession except sales.
The pensioners, the liquidated of large companies that they served for many years, but who, with the apology of restructuring the company, have fired them without any consideration, being misplaced.
His strength and knowledge are alive to continue working, but face the cold and cruel reality. You are over 35 or 40 years old and no company will give you a job so you have the best resume full of achievements and specializations. He feels socially displaced, financial problems come, he tries for a long time to return to his profession, but as time goes by his retirement money runs out, there is no opportunity.
Some venture to be independent and start their own businesses, but many fail for one reason or another. Expenses continue. You have to cover them.
Someone recommends that you become a seller, it is the only job that does not make you problem because of age. Long-term experience does not matter, the important thing is your resume that confirmed your data and behavior with the previous patterns are good and ready.
He doubts it but… what can he lose? Nothing. Unlike; you can win a new opportunity. Receive a basic salary and sales incentives and what reassures him the most is knowing that they are going to train him, that they are going to give him the necessary tools so that he can develop and get ahead, that he becomes professional and feels useful, important again.
When someone, who really needs something, finds it, it is not chance that procures it, but himself. His own desire and his own need lead him to it.
Hermann Hess
Presents itself. They begin a series of tests of general knowledge, it is most likely that their profile matches what is required because the company is most interested in and let's not tell ourselves lies, is that you can bring as clients all those friends and family who have Over time you have captivated your working world. They call it a natural market.
It may very well work for you, not as much as you'd like but it works for you, and you stick around for a while as the enthusiastic salesperson who wants to get ahead.
But after this period they begin to pressure you for results and you begin to see that the matter is not so simple, the market is difficult, the product is not so easy to sell, the competition is better than… is that… and there he continues with apologies and immersed in his own invention.
This causes trauma on a professional and personal level and takes his family ahead. He despairs, he becomes a bitter individual, he will no longer want to get up early to his work, what torture… Solution. Give up.
The other solution would be for you to be highly spiritually empowered and start this new experience with one end in mind. DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE WINNED BY ADVERSITY. You are aware that you must prepare and move forward to demonstrate to yourself and your family that you are a leader committed to your ideals.
When you go into business, you get into trouble, but best of all, you can choose the kind of trouble you like to get into.
Kettering
Your enthusiasm, the support of your group leader or director and the company, make you feel more committed and eager to succeed. Surely it will.
However, dear reader, I dare to describe below some of the qualities that, in my opinion, must have the individuals who already within the profession of seller want to professionalize, commit themselves and lead a change in their life undoubtedly aimed at success
It is very possible that some people who read this article do not agree with my approach. But if you analyze it well, you will find that logic added to intuition can be as accurate as it is effective when making decisions or persuading someone else to make them. I trust it.
In a time of radical change, the future belongs to those who continue to learn, those who have already learned, are equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
Eric Hoffer
Today's salesperson must be a leader, who proves to be proactive, organized, and committed to the company's strategic delineations.
In addition, he must be an individual who understands and applies in his day-to-day the necessary processes under the concepts of planning, execution and control.
There is a lot of literature that explains to us step by step about the obligations and responsibilities of sales personnel, including of course, the conventional sales scheme, from the approach to the closing. But this is another topic that I hope I can write to and discuss on another occasion through this medium.
From now on I will concentrate on describing what concerns the objective of this writing.
I had the opportunity to join an intangible products company as an advisor, as I was doing. Well, I did not have many job opportunities in my profession, which barely ended as a Business Administrator.
Honestly starting was very hard. Walk for long hours visiting cold clients and others referred by friends. The fulfillment of goals was not very close to the budgets demanded by the company and worst of all, it tormented me to see that friends and colleagues from the university were better placed at work than me. However, I started and committed to this new challenge.
After a few months of adaptation, achievements and failures, I had the opportunity to meet a chief doctor from an area of the company who came to replace my director of sales, who due to illness was incapacitated for a month.
The day after his arrival we met to meet. When I left his office, I saw life differently. I felt an impulse of greatness before the world… I felt important, valuable. No one and nothing would stop me from achieving my master life plan… my goal… to be happy.
Not always, they say out there… money is synonymous with happiness. But it helped me. What if… that made me happy.
It was not a miracle or an act from another dimension that made me feel this way. It was her, my boss; The one that with her drive and motivation analyzed me, told me that she had the wood to achieve what she wanted. That only needed to believe more in me. Train me, Commit me. Loving my work day by day. She quoted me a stanza that she had read somewhere.
If sales were easy and there were no objections, our profession as sellers would not exist and only a programmed machine would pick up our customers' orders.
Prove to yourself that you are not mediocre, that you are a spiritually structured person, strive for a better standard of living for your family.
I attended many sales trainings taught by the company. They indoctrinated me, outlined me with the parameters conceived by the directives. Learn and go outside, defend yourself. This and that if you follow it to the letter as we teach you, it will give you good results.
I did it that way and I can't complain. It went well but not as I wanted, there were many mistakes in my management and closings that were lost, something was wrong and that was how my boss dedicated extra time to me and I learned that the failure was in my conception of sales, of the essence of the interpersonal relationship with those clients that he has known daily.
Key phrase I learned. Be yourself, don't be outlined. find the essence, the truth. Get out of your lethargy. Renew, train, research, apply, and demonstrate results.
I put all this into practice and I confess that it gave me a very good result.
Putting it another way.
You must be very clear about your role as a seller. It is your responsibility to satisfy your own needs and that of your company, if we are all well, we all win. The company trusts you. Do it as you like, under ethical and honest guidelines, but comply.
When I say do not sketch, I mean that you are free to manage your client, get affinity with him, let him speak, advise him, sensitize him. You are the one handling the moment.
Don't just think about closing or you're going to lose the sale. Just do not press, achieve a clean, crystalline contact but with authority and wisdom.
Be yourself, enjoy the development of the interview. Take it as the best of opportunities. That everything develops as a calm dialogue and with good information.
Remember that for good communication to take place there must be at least two active subjects and not just one speaking.
This error easily falls out of the desire to close and be thinking about the steps of the sale, the scolding if it does not succeed, the money that is going to be earned or how frustrating it could be.
I compare it to a couple relationship. Make a good first impression, highlight what you like about the other person, be interested in their things, their tastes, listen; do not press so that you are dying of the embrace, do not be reckless do not make comments that may hurt or displease the other, especially in personal matters.
With all this you will achieve affinity. You will be perceived as a trusted friend. Your logic and perception must work like a charm and without much effort you will realize that you are taking him the way you want, developing the gift of persuasion.
In the end, business confidence is such that it can close the sale and also leave with good referrals. Make a commitment to call him to see if you have already received the contract documents, or better yet, if you can bring them yourself. Let him know that he really cares about you. Boosting your relationship is the best of investments.
Some clips to keep in mind.
- Get more knowledge. Investigating inside and outside the company. Learn from the competition. Be clear about the competitive advantages of your product. Watch your vocabulary. Keep the enthusiasm. Smile. Keep the tone of voice. Be calm. Be consistent..Be firm. Show authority. Be a gentleman. Stay up to date with your agenda. Take to the streets with an end in mind. Be courteous. Be kind. Have affinity with your interlocutor. Have autonomy in your processes and decisions. Have empathy. Talk a language according to the level of your interlutor. Be a magician in the art of persuading. Handle objections with sensitivity. Be absolutely honest and simple in speaking and acting. Remember the humblest. The bigger it will be. Take advantage of the time. Planning Execute your plans and projections with quality.Permanently and periodically monitor your management. Feed back on your failures and successes. Prioritize your duties and commitments. Show the best of yourself over the phone. Before you get angry, learn from the claims.
In summary:
My theory is:
Be yourself. Apply your knowledge and organizational guidelines responsibly but without schematizing. remember that each sale, each customer is unique.
Heed your logic with wisdom, insight, and persuasion.
