"What skills are needed to become good at sales?"
It starts with perspective, you win the sale or you learn why you didn't.
In my very first sales job where I sold wireless services, I had a target sales close ratio of 30% which I missed (hit 22% if I remember) on my first month. At the end of that first month, I promised my manager it would never happen again without knowing the answer to how. Here is what I did:
1) I chose to learn one thing offering that I would represent no matter what. This represented the offering no one seemed to have.
2) I learned to sell this independent of promotions. I didn't push discounts or deals, but only value. While more difficult, this forced me to create a sustainable selling method independent of external influence. If a sale stopped, my performance remain unchanged.
3) MOST IMPORTANT: I asked everyone to buy. I got an obscene amount of people saying no. I asked every single one of those people why they chose to say no explaining I had no intent to push the sale, but seeked their help and feedback to better explain it. I learned a lot.
4) After a few days of this, I applied all the feedback in what I received into new positioning when representing the service. I later discovered this concept is known as objection prevention. The amount of people saying no decreased.
5) Rinse and repeat. I ended up number one out of eighty people by month three.
This concept works regardless of the offering you represent. It requires the following:
- Perception adjustment concerning the concept of "rejection." An unexpected outcome can serve you more than one you expect. Here lie your lessons.
- Objections provide insight into how you can improve what you offer. The objections you receive are not always indicative of what you think they are.
- Feedback comes to those who are humble and authentic about being accountable for their own self-improvement
The learning you acquire from this method transcends your employment responsibility. It enables you to invest in yourself while meeting the necessary requirements of your financial sustenance.