Relationship Advice For A Sales Person

Successful personal relationships are tough to maintain. Usually people have different personalities, backgrounds, needs, and problems that need to be solved. People have good days and bad days. Highs and lows. It's how we tackle these issues that leads to a successful relationship versus a break-up.

Reflecting on traits that help make relationships more successful can shed some strong light on a few key principles that lead to sales success.

Role Models. Listening. Love. Persistence. Belief. Patience**.**

How can we take these traits and use them to build a successful sales career?

Let's find out.

Role Models

The definition of a role model is, "a person who serves as an example by influencing others." As kids growing up, its usually our parents, community elders, and teachers. We look to them for guidance as we grow up and to set an example for how to lead a good life. By listening to them, we better set ourselves up for success in the real world. Would you ever choose not to have a role model in your life? Sales should be no different. Having a mentor (role model) to help you navigate the sales world as you develop is one of the top things most sales people attribute to their success. Most of us are surrounded by accomplished professionals in our field, potential advisers, and networking groups. TAKE ADVANTAGE whenever and wherever you can. Don't be afraid to tap into their wisdom. Your future success will thank you.

Listening

There is a wonderful expression, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." And yet, we often find ourselves doing just the opposite. Many sales people start selling before they listen to the needs of their clients. This "B" before "A" rarely ever leads to a "C"losed sale. When you ask good questions (and really listen to what the prospects say), you uncover their needs, drivers, and pain points. Then when it's your turn to speak, you can deliver a value driven pitch that speaks directly to the heart of the prospect. Like coffee, LISTENING is for closers.

Love. Persistence. Belief. Patience. (L.P.B.P)

You need to Love what you do. Believe in what you sell. Persist when the going gets tough. And be Patient. If you build with the above traits, and give it time, the sales will come. The main idea here is that people buy from people they like. Next time you make a purchase, think about why you are doing so. Usually it's because the sales person was passionate and personally believed in the product/service they were selling. They tipped your "buy" scale even further when they were patient during your decision making process. Your respect was won when they persistently and appropriately followed up. You liked them. You bought from them. At the of the day, people buy you. So make sure you bring L.P.B.P. with you to every sales call!

Relationships and sales are two fish in the same pond. They are both built on the same ingredients and nurtured with love, persistence, belief, and patience. Incorporating these principles into your life will help dramatically improve your personal relationships and increase your sales success.