When I say you should think and act like a sales professional I mean a modern salesperson who is professional.
It’s the opposite of a sleazy car salesman of the days of yore. The successful salespersons of today are helpful — they educate instead of push — and they aren’t “kill or be killed” mentality.
Here are the 7 ways to act like a sales professional:
1 — Don’t get hung up on rejection
“Some will. Some won’t. So what?”
That was the best thing I learned in sales training for a specific company in Nashville. That mentality helped me go door to door without hanging my head. It would also help me learn to keep my head up when I got rejected for dates or business ideas.
Don’t let rejection phase you. It happens.
Look for the positives and learn from every interaction.
“Each no gets you closer to a yes.” Cliche, but probably true, if you’re working smart.
This is great life advice too — not everyone will like you. So, let it roll right off you.
2 — Be humble and helpful
People tend to dislike arrogance (but they love confidence). Nobody is perfect and everyone knows that. If you acknowledge your flaws/weaknesses, people will be more inclined to be receptive to you as a person.
People want to deal with real people. Not Superman.
Seek to inform and understand the needs of the other person before pitching them something.
3 — Be a good listener
People like to feel heard. If you can get them talking about themselves, they’ll like you more.
Get them to tell you their pain points and their worries, then rephrase it back to them to show you listened and understood what they said. Then, you can finally mention how you/your product could solve their problem(s).
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” — Stephen Covey
4 — Believe in yourself and your product
If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. Except your mother. Maybe. You have to be your biggest fan/salesperson. You are trying to convince people to believe in you every single day.
Because as soon as they think you aren’t the best fit for them (as their assistant, insurance rep, operations manager, etc), they will find someone to replace you who can sell themselves as the best solution for that role.
5 — Know yourself and your product
To fully believe in yourself, you have to know yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Inside and out. Know how to sell yourself.
I squandered a lot of time/opportunities when I was younger because I didn’t know how to package my skills.
And I didn’t give myself enough credit (belief in my skills) to sell myself at my true value.
I’m finally getting it right — and it’s making a huge difference in my life.
6 — Be ambitious
Motivated people achieve more.
You need to have something you are working towards. Know your why.
The why is the most important. Have a purpose that drives you.
It will connect you with like-minded people that will be your teammates in your journey.
Complacency is death. There are others out there improving and driving for more. If you stay stagnant — you are falling behind. Quickly.
7 — Set goals
Having ambition is one thing. It needs to be targeted to be successful. Smart (or clear) goals help keep you focused. Knowing that you are making progress towards your goals is a great motivator to keep you moving.
Troughs of sorrow happen to all of us, regardless of whether we’re an entrepreneur launching our business (our baby) or an employee trying to work up the corporate ladder.
Set goals for yourself in work and your personal life. Think of them often and ask yourself “is this activity getting me closer to my goals?” If the answer is ‘no’ — stop that activity.
When you make a customer happy and keep them happy, they’ll not only keep coming back to you, they’ll be your fan — and send you more business. So you don’t have to keep pounding the pavement.
We could improve a lot if we think and act like a sales professional more often.
Now that I’m reviewing this, I realize how many parallels there are for dating advice and sales advice.
Coincidence? I think not. It’s just life advice.
