The best sales professional has an extensive set of tools that they can utilize to close a sell. One of the most important tools they have is called empathy. Empathy is best described as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Every salesperson would like to join the ranks of the best of the best, the top 1% of selling champions that bring in the lion’s share of the sales in their organizations. I have witnessed these people. Some are one-hit wonders, here today gone tomorrow. Then there are the ones who consistently stay on top. They are high achievers, humble in their own right, quietly going about their business, and racking up sales. What do they possess that many within the sales profession don’t? What’s their secret? That’s what this paper is all about.
Successful and responsible sales professionals often have a willingness to serve, an attitude of helping and giving to others. Lending a helping hand is one of the easiest things a sales professional can do to make a difference and an impact in someone’s life and in this world, one day, one relationship, one earned client at a time.
Approach each prospect/client/customer (PCC) with the mindset as an opportunity to serve, visualizing yourself sitting on their side of the desk, getting an understanding of what is going on in their world, (with empathy), when interaction with PCC in that manner will be a step on the path to greatness.
I appreciate the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. Level 5 leadership is a concept developed by Collins. Collins explains that Level 5 leaders demonstrate a compelling mixture of personal humility and invincible will. They’re especially ambitious, but their ambition is first and foremost for the cause, for the organization and its purpose, not themselves. As sales professionals, we can certainly learn a lot from that wisdom. Personal humility and an indomitable will, in my opinion, are the hallmarks of any sales champion.
Can you learn to develop these qualities “values.?”
After reading Collins’s hypothesis, he mentions that there are two groups of people: those who possess the seed of Level 5 and those who do not. The same can be said about salespeople in general.
Collins goes on to say, “the second category of people—and I suspect the larger group—consists of those who have the potential to evolve to be great, the capability resides within them, perhaps buried or ignored, but there nonetheless. And under the right circumstances—self-reflection, conscious personal development, a mentor, a great teacher, a significant life experience, a Level 5 boss, or any number of other factors—they begin to develop.”
Being in sales today can be challenging. It requires unique, and well-rounded skill sets that’s hard to come by. However, while there are “natural sales professionals,” core skill sets are essential for any level of sales professional, and they can be developed.
If you wish to create a favorable response with PCC, you do so by example with, sound communication skills with the art of persuasion, not by being deceitful but by genuinely getting to know them, by having an honest conversation, by asking good questions and truly listening to them and their needs.
Concentrate on their positive attributes, not only what they fear or dislike. When you get to know them, learn about PCC’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations, determine what motivates them. Then show them how to align their goals with your value proposition, working together for mutual advantage. When you do, everybody wins.
What’s the secret of high achievers? The greatest quality and the secret of high archivers is that of service to others, then delivering exceptional value without any expectation of reward. By further the interest of PCC and delivering what they want and need your scorecard will be your paycheck.
At Cogent Analytics, we never stop looking for ways to improve your business and neither should you. So, check out some of our other posts for helpful business information:
Cogent Analytics, LLC is a business management consulting firm, with a primary focus to help small to medium size, privately held businesses achieve success and long term profitability. Cogent provides powerful solutions with integrity and transparency to privately-held businesses throughout the United States.
