What makes a good salesperson?

Are you a professional? Great at the technical, but hate selling? Then this may just help you to get your mindset in the right place.

Everyone sells.

Whether you like it or not, we all have to sell ourselves all the time, but we don’t see it as selling so when it comes to making a sale we freeze or ignore it. Sound like you?

I have been in the sales arena for nearly 30 years and I truly believe that I have never sold anything. WHAT? I actually feel that I have helped people to buy rather than me actually selling to them. I have been on incentive trips, won great prizes (including a supermarket sweep and a helicopter ride!) and been promoted because I have had outstanding results, but in all that time I have never considered myself a great sales guy.

Why don't I think that I am a great sales guy?

Because all I do is listen to people and understand their problems and help them to find a way to fix them. Most of the time that involves me explaining to them what it is that my company provides that will help that issue. They then buy my solution.

That could be some life assurance, a shiny new photocopier, a Franking Machine, or maybe some complicated software program, but whatever company I have worked for I have always believed in why what we do and what we offer can really help our customers and clients.

Surely you believe in what you do?

You are great at doing it and have many years of experience under your belt, so why do you struggle to sell? I bet that when you speak to a client about the technicalities of their business you can wax lyrical about the balance sheet and how if they do this or that they can grown their business, or afford a new piece of plant or make the next hire? This is because you understand what is going on and you have passion for what you do.

All you need to do now is turn that passion on for new prospects.

People love stories. Have some great stories up your sleeve about how you help people out and what you have done for your clients to enable them to do whatever it is your prospect is looking to do.

When you first talk to a prospect, ask loads of questions, keep asking questions until you get to the root answer. Why do you need an accountant should not be your only question. Their answer to this might be simple such as because I have just started my business.

Ask though provoking questions.

If you delve into questions you could unearth that the reason they have set up in business is that they want to prove to a previous boss that they can run a business. But more than that, that their old boss was on the verge of losing the business because their accountant hadn’t given them the best advice, so your prospect already has a fear of accountants. By understanding this you can bring up some stories to help the prospect understand that this is not you.

Keep things simple.

Not many people understand their way around a set of accounts like you do, so make it easy to grasp. Come up with some basic analogies that will make it easier for your prospects to understand what you are trying to explain so that the penny will drop. Ask them if they understand where you are coming from. Some prospects pretend they get what we are talking about but never fully understand then, therefore, will not become a client because it is a leap of faith.

Repeat back to your prospect what you feel that you have heard so that they can correct you if you are wrong. This shows that you have been listening and that you truly get where they are coming from. This helps build trust and people buy from people who they know, like and trust!

I will be writing more blogs on selling in the coming weeks but if you feel this has touched a nerve and you have some questions for me, please follow this link to book a 15 minute quick chat with me. There is no obligation to do anything. In fact, you may even be able to help me with my next blog about selling!

Remember ‘You get out what you put in’!