In a highly competitive field like sales, success can be hard to find. The wide majority of sales people are mediocre at best, just coasting through their careers, closing deals here and there, but never achieving the level of success that would indicate they’re experts at what they do. But some sales professionals—the great ones—stand out. They have certain behaviours that allow them to succeed where others fail.
Though skills training and sales coaching can make a great difference in the level of success acquired, developing certain behaviours of sales people can be the best way to enable more effective selling.
Here are the behaviours of sales people that drive their success.
Some sales people will focus only on their solution’s price point in order to try to make the sale. They think that price is the main reason buyers make their final purchasing decisions and that they must focus on overcoming price objections to get the sale.
But the best sales people know that buyers care more about the value they’ll receive. Thus, they learn how to demonstrate value to sales prospects. They ensure that the offered solution addresses the buyer’s recognized needs and then they communicate the value that will be delivered efficiently and effectively to ensure that the buyer can picture how their life will improve with the solution.
Successful sales people don’t waste their time on unqualified prospects. They successfully qualify leads by asking probing questions about budget, decision-making authority, timeframes, competing solutions, needs, and challenges in order to discover whether or not the prospect is ready and able to buy and to learn what’s driving their decisions.
They do not attempt to sell without understanding the prospects’ needs, wants, and pain points. The best sales professionals ask more questions than the less talented sales reps that assume they know it all.
And after asking these questions, they listen closely to the answers and absorb what they’re hearing to ensure that they truly understand.
The best sales reps understand the importance of creativityin sales. They know that they must combat many challenges and overcome many obstacles to close the deal. They use their ingenuity and creativity to find alternative out-of-the-box solutions to problems in order to get the sale.
They know that one-size-fits-all products and services don’t actually fit everyone. They’re diligent in tailoring their solutions to customers’ needs. Their flair for creative solutions and problem solving helps them close deals that stymie less talented reps.
One of the behaviours of sales people that truly drives success is the act of nurturing. Some reps are only after the sale—and it shows. They care about nothing more than the transaction that will lead to a bigger commission cheque.
Successful sales people, on the other hand, take the time required to build relationships, create trust, boost credibility, and nurture prospects and customers. They know that buyers want to feel a connection with the companies they do business with. They know that to make the sale, to get referrals, and to create brand ambassadors, they must focus on prospect nurturing and customer service. And their efforts pay dividends.
Where some veteran sales people refuse to change their ways and start to fall behind, successful sales people thrive because of their thirst for learning. These reps are constantly looking up news, trends, and best practices in the ever-changing sales industry. They’re always working towards learning new skills, strategies, and methods that will help them close more. They change their ways when it’s required. They adapt. And this is one of the most critical behaviours of sales people in today’s digital world.
Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.