Entrepreneur's Journal: Becoming a sales pro

Great insight here, have to say, as a sales person, and sales coach I think that unless you are a scientist or an engineer you need to sell, and even they are finding themselves more and more in competition for jobs, funding et. No one really is exempt, even doctors have to compete.

You have simply said everything that needs to be said, the only thing I would add, is that a lazy minded person many times doesn't like to sell. And I don't mean the person is lazy, but when I watch the good and great sales people, they do, do the research and they do think about the needs and the mindset of their potential customer. It takes more effort to be prepared and empathetic and then to be able to internalize the whole thing and talk about it, takes practice and trial and error. Basically you have to keep doing it and re-doing it until it becomes second nature, but it can be very painful, rejection and misunderstanding is.

Thanks for the tip on the book - I just ordered it.

Obviously all the above advice is great and useful. But in the end, if it comes down to you or another company's salesman and the buyer likes you, all other things being relatively equal, he will buy from you. If that wasn't true we could just e-mail spec sheets and price lists and wait for the orders to roll in.

Sales, the dreadful necessity. Other pointers are important in sales other than knowing your potential clients needs. Know your product, you should know every aspect of the item(s) you are trying to sell. Depending on the industry you are in, other information may need to be obtained.
I was in sale for over 20 years in the auto/truck parts industry. In my early years (I was much younger than the mechanics I was selling to) I had a hurdle to overcome. Being on the "supplier" end I had access to all of the technicle data as well as the parts books. I spent many hours of my own time to research hydraulic and air brake systems, went to seminars and was fortunate enough to attend a few specialized classes on some products. All in all I made a living and kept food on the table and a roof over my head.

Be yourself, be personable, listen to your customers needs. There are many aspects of sales, too many to cover in a short article and too many to to cover in a single book. Most of all, be yourself, if the potential customer likes you and you sell them what they need, you will build cliantelle over time and have a following.

Remember a couiple other things, Don't be "Pushy" nothing turns a potential customer away faster. After your presentation, ASK FOR THE SALE, then follow up on your sales (a valuable learning tool) to make sure the customers items were delivered on time and solved their problem. This shows the customer that YOU care and will put you ahead of other salespersons in their next purchase.

They can yell, they can scream, but they can't beat you up!!!!!

One of the most important, if not the most important and the most overlooked part of the sales process is the close. To close a sale usually requires asking a closing question. A closing question is a question, the answer to which, indicates that someone has bought something. Product knowledge and likeability mean nothing unless you get the prospect to sign on the dotted line. Great salesmen develop a closing instinct by closing too soon and too often. After you have covered all the features and benifits of your service or product you are still nowhere unless you have a signed order. There are dozens of basic closes. When you have finished
your presentation assume the prospect is ready to buy. You then ask a closing question such as, "I can have your refrigerator delivered on Tuesday or Wednesday, which do you prefer?" This is called the order blank close. Follow with, "What is your correct delivery address." Another alternate is, "Cash or charge?" or "Do you want it in red or green?" When you get down to the bottom of the form, if he hasn't stopped you, hand him the pen and say, "All you need to do is OK it right here. One more important thing, after you ask a closing question, zip your lip. The first one to speak looses.
For many more advanced closes refer to J. Douglas Edwards' "Closing the Sale "

Dale's advice is very good. Especially the advice to listen and not be pushy.

Over the years I've trained quite a few sales people. I never tried to make them all fit my mold. Every great salesman has his own personality and what works for me may not work for everyone.

There are however a few common traits nearly all successful salesmen share. They aren't afraid to get up in the morning and make their calls. They are motivated by commission. As Dale mentioned they ask for the sale. They remove whatever obstacles prevent them from landing an account. They are tenacious. They value their customers and are not afraid to complain to management if their customer gets shortchanged.

Your personality trait generally determines your appitude for selling successfully. I learned the hardway in life about selling because I wasn't born to be in sales, whether be a product or an idea. But once you get the hang of it, it's smooth sailing. The article is directed at the uninitiated but still a good one for those old-time pro's.

Just think of the Great Company You will be in by being a successful Salesman , the BEST of All was the 1 and only Son of God Jesus Christ , I do not state this with any disrespect ,God Knows me better , But Yes Jesus was and will always be the BEST Salesman of them All

Supper in sight, I was pleased to read it. Now all I need is a good resource of Outside Sale Reps. For job info see

http://greensoiltea.blogspot.com