Welcome to Part 2 of this series. If you haven’t read Part 1, you should totally check it out here.
This series is all about the qualities that make up a great salesperson. Selling is something we all do in business, and it’s a skill that can be bettered with practice.
The three qualities I outlined were welcoming and friendly, knowledgeability, and knowing to ask the right questions.
Here, I’ll speak about three more qualities that must be mastered in order to create a better selling experience, no matter what business you’re in. Let’s get to it!
Qualities You Need To Perfect As A Salesperson
4. Appreciative & Understanding
As a salesperson, you encounter different people every day, and if you’re lucky, you meet many new customers. Part of building loyal customers who return to you, or your business, is making sure they feel appreciated and understood.
Being genuinely appreciative of the customers that walk through your doors is so crucial. They could’ve have gone to another store, but they came to you… And that deserves appreciation.
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
— Ernest Hemingway
This also goes hand-in-hand with being understanding. Showing empathy means putting yourself in your customer’s shoes. So when they are excited about your product, be excited with them. And when they are frustrated with a process, be frustrated with them.
Customers will notice these qualities, and they’ll not only want to return to you, they’ll also share this positive experience with friends and family… Which provides you with an opportunity to create more loyal customers.
5. Don't Know Something? Be Honest, Then Figure It Out.
As people, we pride ourselves on being in the know, and so when we’re presented with something we don’t know, we tend to lie.
It could be a little “white lie,” such as telling your friend you’ve heard of a band when you haven’t. Or it could be telling a customer that a certain product has a feature when you don’t know for sure.
And I’m not going to preach about the importance of telling the truth, but I am going to speak about the impact of being honest with customers and helping them figure out the answers to their questions.
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
— Thomas Jefferson
In Part 1, I spoke about how being knowledgeable about your products, services, and processes can go a long way, but what happens when you don’t know the answer to a question?
The answer is simple. Tell the truth. Let the customer know that you’re not sure, or don’t know. But the most important part is what comes after that… Which is helping them figure out the answer.
Let’s quickly consider the alternative. Imagine you’ve just been asked a question about your product, such as “Does this product come with feature X?”, and you’re not sure, and so in pride, you respond with “Sure it does!”
Your customer now heads home excited for this product, and possibly that specific feature, only to discover that the feature they asked about isn’t exactly what they imagined or is completely nonexistent. How do you think they feel now? Angry, confused, misunderstood? Probably all three. This will undoubtedly hurt your reputation.
So by letting them know you don’t know, it shows humility. And when you actually take the time to figure it out the answer, it shows you care. Customers will greatly appreciate you taking your time for them, even if you can’t find the solution.
This is just another way to build customer loyalty through humility and care.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
— Wayne Gretzky
6. Ask For The Sale
To end Part 2, I thought I’d talk about a fundamental part of actually selling… Asking for the sale.
One of the most common sales misses is not asking for the sale. Why? There could be a few reasons.
You could be
scared to ask
unsure if the customer is interested
or worst of all, you just don’t want to ask
All of which don’t support your business goals.
In order to make asking for the sale more feasible, you must first build a relationship with your customer, which is why mastering the qualities above and in Part 1 are so important.
“44% of salespeople have an 80% probability they won’t close the sale.”
— HubSpot
When you build the relationship with your customer, asking for the sale will come naturally. It’ll feel more like a recommendation rather than an uncomfortable question.
What also helps is to empower your customer to make the decision. make them feel they are in control of their choices, “because people buy when they feel they are in control.”
For instance, instead of asking if they’d like to buy the product, try asking, “How would you like to take this home today?” Or, “I can get this for you today if you’d like?”
These questions give the customer the power to make their own decision, rather than feeling you’re just trying to sell them on something.
Outro
I hope discussing these sales qualities were helpful to you, your team, or your business. Remember that these are all achievable with practice, all it takes is awareness and the will to create a great customer experience. By doing this, you’ll create loyal customers who want to come back to you.
Your Turn
Thank you for reading Part 2 of this series. If these tactics have been used by your or your team, I’d love to learn how they affect your sales journey in the comments below.