Good sales skills involve not just effectiveness at negotiating, persuading, listening and presenting but also a hunger for work, relentless enthusiasm, and doing your homework before you go face to face with customers says Sarah Dowding
Think of sales and many people still conjure up the idea of the salesman with a bag of samples and an equally weighty arsenal of persuasive phrases, but today's reality is rather different.
There is sometimes a stigma still attached to working in sales and many people prefer to have different job titles. There are a variety of different titles, with any number of words being used except selling'.
Working in sales is a fantastic basis from which to go on to most other jobs (if you don't become addicted first) as there are so many skills required, many of which are incredibly useful in everyday life too.
For a start, the salesperson has to be effective at negotiating, persuading, listening and presenting for a start.
The best type of person for a sales position is not easily summed up on a CV as it is more the type of personality that counts.
Sales is one of the few areas where first impressions do count. Good sales people need to have drive, determination, personality and initiative in order to get on good terms with customers quickly.
If you are the right person then many doors will be open to you, with excellent financial rewards.
Selling is the very essence of business. Robert Louis Stevenson said: "Everyone lives by selling something."
The most important factor in succeeding in sales is having a strong desire to achieve, being enthusiastic and confident, with good communication and negotiating skills.
Many people say having a career in sales is a fantastic job as there is so much to learn. You can make things happen in sales and closing a deal can give you a terrific adrenaline rush.
With commission based roles, the harder you work, the more money you get. Born salesmen are often addicted to their roles.
The vast majority of sales roles do involve travel, but this may be international rather than up and down the M1, especially if you are proficient in speaking foreign languages.
However the ability to drive and the love of living in your company car do help a little!
Sales is often, in effect, like running your own business. You are responsible for everything to do with your accounts as well as meeting your targets.
You need to have an in-depth understanding of the product or service you are selling.
This is the reason why so many graduate schemes, especially in the fmcg arena, start with a sales role.
If you don't know about the sharp end of your employer's business and how the product or service sells, then it is difficult to go on to other roles within the business with any great credibility.
The essence of selling is mainly networking.
Networking is not about just collecting business cards, but about nourishing those contacts.
It is good to see all the people you meet as potentially important to your happiness and your business life.
Networking is a very personal activity and sending out general mail shots to contacts you have is not the way forward. Shelling out millions on advertising is not a substitute for face-to-face contact and persuasive selling.
Preparation is key. You must prepare to win and prepare to dazzle. It is the means for making new friends, customers and members of your network.
Great salesmen can create great business as they have always done.
And if you do your homework it really does pay off.
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