Research, listening, and good communication skills are necessary for a profitable career in sales. What separates the exceptional salesperson from the mediocre is closing the sale successfully.
Passion, integrity, and being a good listener are all the building blocks of a successful sales career path. Sales coach Todd Cohen believes that everyone, in their own way, is a salesperson. "It is bringing that innate skill set and natural talent out that makes a good salesperson," Cohen said.
Communication
Communication is a vital factor of that skill set. Good communication skills lead to great relationships with your customers. Developing and maintaining solid relationships with clients is crucial. Not only does a good relationship with your customer produce sales, it strengths your credibility.
Listening
Listening is an important element to this relationship. Get to know your client and pay close attention to their needs. When you conduct your research for your sales proposal, keep the needs that were communicated to you in the forefront of your mind. This should be an easy process if you address all of your customer's concerns.
Anticipating Needs
When it comes time to present your product, the needs of the client will already be incorporated into the proposal if you have done this correctly. The worst thing you can do, Cohen says, is present a proposal that does not target the customer's requests. This shows you were not listening to the requests of your customer and will jeopardize the potential for future sales.
Asking for the Sale
Once your proposal properly reflects the needs of the customer, asking for the order is the next step. Do not make the mistake of researching and presenting the correct information to your customer and not asking for the contract. If you have completed each step of the process correctly, asking for the sale should be simple.
Presenting With Confidence
Presenting your proposal with confidence will also help seal the deal. If your customer has specific questions about your product compared to a competitor's product, state your answer with confidence reinforcing your focus on their particular needs. Confidence in your tone will transition smoothly into the final step, "When can we get your service started?"
Asking for your very first sale may seem intimidating, but following the process above will simplify asking for the sale, and generate great profit.
See the video version of this article and get more career help and employer videos at www.careertv.com. CareerTV has the largest collection of career videos online . Copyright 2008 CareerTV, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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