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Are you looking for an exciting future in sales? Then, 2019 can be the year for you. This year brings with it some amazing new opportunities to succeed. We are already through a month in the new year and recruiters are gearing up to look for new talent to join their ranks. Looking forward to making a mark this year and utilizing your talent? Then let’s take a look at what sales recruiters are looking for in their prospective employees this year!
1. Understanding your customer’s pain points
While we are selling something, it is very vital to know the exact problem that your customer is facing. You must understand what your customer needs and how to address their pain points in the most exacting manner. Ensure that the solution you present to them is what they are looking for, by showing empathy and putting yourself in their shoes. They might have teething pains like budget constraints or a lack of knowledge which they may not be willing to accept up front. The trick is to look past that and convince them in their own language.
2. The art of assertiveness
Source: businesswiseinsiders.com
When you are new in the job or you simply feel intimidated by the person in front of you, you may make the mistake of being polite or trying to make yourself likeable. You would probably end up saying something like - “When would you decide if you want to place an order with us?”. This leaves it open for interpretation and the customer may not feel compelled to do business with you, due to which you might lose a quality lead. What you could say instead - “Could you give me a time and date of when you will place an order with us?”. This puts the onus on the buyer and the sense of urgency will make him/her decide much sooner. The art of being assertive lies somewhere between being passive and aggressive.
3. Critical thinking and business acumen
Source: business2community.com
Sales is no more a game of words and emotions. It also is based on hard data, like cash flows, profit/loss, margins, ROI etc. Predicting how your sales will contribute to the top line, you must pace your contribution over a quarter to set a goal for yourself. Your data team might be able to run these reports for you. But it is important for you to rely on your firsthand knowledge of how your company is doing by using your critical thinking. Taking up a classroom training program or a professional course related to sales training will help you immensely towards understanding the dynamics of a sales profile.
4. The science of agility
There are times when the buyer lobs questions at you and you seem unprepared to answer. Either it is about your product, your company or even you. It is always best to be prepared to face these with a script at first. Soon you will not depend on a script and be able to manage on your own. You might also face objections in certain matters, due to the buyer’s lack of exposure or just plain ignorance. It is then that you have to be prepared with rebuttals on why they will find a perfectly good use for your product.
For this, you need to be well versed in all matters related to your company and product. Also, you have been very more self-aware along with handling your emotions well in any situation and harnessing it while selling.
5. Persuasiveness and negotiation skills
Source: noobpreneur.com
Did the buyer just brush you off saying that they will call you back soon? Are you going to wait for them to call you back or will you call?
It is always best to be persistent with such passive leads as it makes a difference if you can glean what is holding the buyer back and probe ever so slightly to understand. Sometimes they forget or buy it from somebody else. Or your competition might do a better job of selling than you did. So, do not hold back, persuade and remind them of the chance that they are missing out on (lots of people believe in FOMO) and close the deal.
At Manipal ProLearn’s School for Jobs, you will be equipped with everything you need to step out into the world and be a champ. Check in with us to understand where you can do better and where you can excel, so that you can take new steps towards making 2019 a resounding success.
