Here are three of the top sales traits I see in the sales representatives who consistently overperform. Start to practice these and go ahead and get a bigger piggy bank.
Tell, tell, tell, or show and tell?
Show, don’t tell!
Nobody wants to hear a salesperson flap gums. When I talk too much, I notice the prospect’s face starts to go a little slack and I can tell they are being polite and just counting the seconds until I stop yapping.
Then, like Mick Jagger’s famous lyrics, I soon see “a girl with far way eyes.” Please don’t just talk. You should be talking only about 25% of the time or less.
One way to do this is to ask good questions and listen. Another is always mix visuals with verbal. Like, “Let me show you some quotes and video testimonials for our customers that have the same problems you have.”
Try to create a one-on-one setting and show your material on your laptop so you both are gathered around a small screen working on this issue together as opposed to sitting across the table. Do all you can to stay on the same side and position yourself as a partner.
The soft close
Many sales folks remind me of the old Barney the purple dinosaur cartoon: “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family.”
From the time the rep starts the chitchat until the call is over, they never get around to asking the hard questions.
The sales call is generally a pretty easy conversation except for one or two penetrating questions that the best reps always ask. Make sure you ask the hypothetical closing question on every call. The top reps get to the “yes or no” faster because they get to the point, and this helps them make the big bucks.
Do your homework
The best reps take the time to find out all they can about who they are calling on, including the person and the company.
Getting a time slot with a big-time decision maker is not easy. To make the most of it, the top earners will spend a few hours getting ready. The worst just show up and wing it.
The best will drill down and find common friends to get feedback on the person and the company. They will call some of the customers and ask about the service. If possible, they will try to learn as much as they can about the issue the company is having and create some possible solutions before they have the meeting.
In most sales cases, the rep who wants it most and solves the problem first gets the deal.
John Sterling is the Amazon bestselling author of “Sales for Noobs” and CEO of NOOB School, an online resource for new salespeople. Previously, he helped build and sell Datastream for over $200 million. He has trained and hired hundreds of sales reps globally. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for new sales content every week. https://noobschool.org
