17 Top Must Do's for Sales Professionals

Selling is one of the most exciting, challenging and paying professions of all times. Selling for a living is challenging. Sales is bundled up with many highs and frequent lows. Market innovations, cut throat competition, constant pressure to achieve sales targets, meeting demands of customers and prospects make sales a tough career. But the adrenalin rush, incentives & achievements are makes it worthwhile. 

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For a serious Sales Professional who wish to take it up Sales as a career these Tips are tried and tested to keep you in the league. There may be some who have implemented these is bits and pieces or as a whole but a conscious effort will definitely help you soar new heights in your sales profession. I suggest a practice of a consistent minimum 21days and you’ll see the magic.

Appropriate Questioning: Sales is not always about talking, explaining or demonstrations only. An effective sales presentations involves asking the right questions at the right time keeping in mind what you have heard from the opposite person. Leading questions, probing questions and appropriate questions help you open the lock that’s on your customer’s/client’s pocket.

Aim as High as You Can: Setting your goals high helps you set higher standards for yourself. Your goals need to motivate you and challenge your limits. It’s for you to set your eyes on your goal and the higher it is the greater potential you will discover.

Be More Receptive: Being Receptive is of more consequence than only speaking effectively. If you listen to understand rather than only to reply you will never be able to give your customer/client a customised offering which is actually required. Every customer/client is different and thinks from his own perspective. Listening to him carefully shall make you understand his perspective more clearly and what he is looking for which can help you build a customised offering

Build A Rapport & a Relationship: As the old metaphor goes, “Never burn old bridges, you don’t know when you have to go back on them.” This metaphor holds true for all sales people. Developing a rapport and maintaining relationships with prospects, customers, friends and others around you is going to place you on the advantages quadrant.

Be Patient: As they say, “Patience is the mother of all virtue”, a sales professional needs to imbibe patience into his system as deep as it can be. Impatience will take you a confused and dejected state of mind. A calm mind exhibits confidence and it’s this confidence that helps you think clearly about your next move. The more desperate you get, the farther your result will move away from you. Be patient, watch, analyse and make your move.

Clarity in Thought: You need to keep a clear view of what you final objective is. It’s important for you to keep that in mind and proceed with your move. Essentially mark out one thing, you can’t win the battle and lose the war- you have to look at the bigger picture to make the correct moves.

Customize Your Presentation: A definite style of presentation will lower your chances of being successful. You need to get into your client’s shoes to develop a flexible styled presentation that matches his understanding. As you know, no two humans think alike. Keeping this in mind you need to customize your presentations.

Display Respect: As old school of thought goes, if you want to understand a person watch how he treats others. Nobody has choked to death for respecting others. Respect can be commanded only by giving respect. It’s the lower rung of the ladder that takes you to the top. Stay grounded and treat people right and the may open up the golden gate for you.

Effective Presentations: An Effective Presentation needs to be Expressive and not only impressive. You need to address issues that your customer/client is concerned rather than blowing your own bugle. Your presentation needs to have the ability to influence your customer’s/client’s decision rather than you feeling content about your impressive presentation. At the end of the day it’s the conversion that matters and not your own agenda.

Focus on Features and Not only Technical Aspects: I have invariably observed sales persons concentrating on explaining the Technical Aspects of the product during their demonstrations. A customer may want to know the technical but his buying decision hugely depends on the value add that he may have due to the product you are offering. Why he should buy holds a little higher than only what he is buying. Think over it.

Plan Effectively: Sales Professionals are constantly surrounded with Sales Targets, Contests and Goals. Planning plays a very important role for seamless execution. Just breaking up the year, quarter or month may not help. Planning needs to be detailed and defined, keeping in mind the resources available & right time for executing the plan. A buffer plays an important role in planning, which needs to be included in every plan to avoid carry forwards or overloading the future plan. The current action cascades its effect on the subsequent plan affecting further parts of the long term plan. Hence, you need to plan accordingly considering your buffer.

Product Knowledge: You need to know your product line at the back of your hand. You got to invest ample time studying your product/s as well as the new developments that occur time to time. Knowing your product/s well helps you identify your target audience easily and also the needs of your customer/client. In turn helping you to offer a better deal as per his requirement.

Prospecting Forever: Prospecting is the best way to keep yourself busy with work. Prospecting everyday increases the odds of success for a sales professional. As we all know there is a conversion ratio when it comes to sales. And the best way to uplift your conversion ratio is to keep on prospecting. Prospecting everyday reduces the chances of lows in your monthly or quarterly goals.

Polish Your Skills Regularly: With changing times one has to keep himself updated. The markets have changed, mind-sets have changed and consumer behaviour has changed. “New opportunities, need a new approach… you can’t open New Locks with an Old set of Keys.” You have to polish your skills to tackle the advent of the newer consumer mind-set. Invest regularly in self-improvement development (webinars, books, workshops, conferences, training programs, online programs, etc.).

Persistence: With a change in the market and the exposure due to the internet sales has become a different ball game altogether. Traditional conversion ratio has changed depending on the customer’s/client’s demographics. Understanding this further, persistence will be the key to survive in the sales profession.

Socialise & Network: Socializing and Networking is an integral component of maintaining healthy relations with people around you. You need to be constantly seen around people who matter other than business hours also. Remember, “Out of sight goes out of mind.”

Stay Motivated: Sales inherently is a challenging profession. Rejections, objections and tend to hit you hard on the ground. It’s reasonable to understand that it’s the concept, product or presentation that was not appealing. You don’t need to take it otherwise, it’s not about you. You need to bounce back every morning for a fresh start to face new challenges and victories.

If you consistently apply and execute these Tips on a regular basis I assure you that you will see your sales graph change distinctively.

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Bare Essentials for Successful Leaders

Action Planner– Planning is an essential attribute of leadership. Proper planning and seamless execution is what the followers expect. Detailed, practical & definite plans is what makes tasks easier and achievable. A successful leader chalks out reasonable & and achievable plans, but a plan without action is like a Rocket without fuel- it may look good but is of no use. A Good Leader plans and executes the plan first before inducing his followers to do the same.

Apolitical– A leader is looked upon by his followers as a problem solver. The leader has to unbiased and should keep away from politics amongst followers. Being just and fair is the key to win the respect of the followers. Without a sense of fairness and justice, a leader cannot command and retain the respect of his followers.






 Analysis– In a given situation, a leader needs to be a good analyzer of details. Active decision making involves a lot of responsibility as well as courage. Analysis reduces the risk of accidents. Successful leadership calls for knowing every detail that affects leader’s position.


 

Charisma -A Charismatic Personality is an extremely good Value add for a Leader. No one would like to follow a sloppy leader who cannot entice his own people. A charismatic personality earns more followers than any other leader.




 Character– Followers duplicate their leaders and learn more from action than what is spoken. A true leader has a clean character and maintains a clean image. A successful leader needs to keep himself away from all incidences and occurrences that could tarnish his image that may raise a question about his character. A clean character gives more room for the followers to trust the Leader.

Courage– Courage is an in built quality of a Good Leader. Courage to take decisions, courage to be unbiased & courage to hold on in adverse conditions define the metal of a good leader. It’s his strength and display of courage that makes followers feel strong.


Clear Communication– Correct communication is of utmost importance for a leader. He has to master the art of communication. It’s essentially important that followers understand exactly what their leader intends to communicate and what he has communicated with them.

Decisiveness– Decision making is an ability that involves courage, knowledge and self- confidence. It’s an outcome of instinct, knowledge, experience and self-belief. No follower would be interested to follow a leader who doesn’t have the ability to take prompt decisions.

Empathy– One of the crucial characteristics of leadership is Empathy. Being a leader you need to have an eagle eye view of everything at the same time you need to fit yourself in your follower’s shoes to know how, what, why, when… you need to feel the feel they feel. You need to empathize with your followers rather than sympathizing with them.

Motivator– Motivation is an important aspect of leadership. The Leader should have the integral ability to motivate his people who may be low or disturbed. He has to have the strength to touch the inner being of his followers that can change their opinion, priority or thought process that may be barring from achieving success.

Outspoken– A leader has to be outspoken at the same time be sensitive enough to not be harsh and arrogant. He should have the strength to speak the truth ensuring corrective actions and not destructive ones.




Running an Extra Mile– Every athlete puts in all the efforts he can to win the race. But it’s the winner who put just a little bit more to pull up his victory. The willingness to go on and on tirelessly makes up a Strong Leader. He should run the extra mile, go out of his way for his people. Put the extra effort that commoners don’t put to win over the situation and his followers.

 Responsible–As they say, “With Great Power comes Great Responsibility.” The successful leader must be willing to assume responsibility for the mistakes and the shortcomings of his followers. It’s the leader who gives the credit to his followers and keeps the debits with himself. He has to own up to his responsibility. A true leader takes the blame and gives the followers a good name.

Team-Player– A Leader is of no consequence without a Team and a Team cannot go too far without a leader. A true leader is a part of a team and dents sit out and order. He fits in like a team mate and does his part to perfection. The successful leader must understand, and apply the principles of team work and shall also induce his followers to do the same.

Will Power & Self Belief– A strong willed person has an inbuilt core to go against all odds and do what he believes is right. It’s quintessential that a Leader trusts his own instinct and believes in himself. This attribute builds high self-confidence and high self-esteem that displays strength which in turn gives energy & confidence to followers.