Robin Porter
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Confessions of Successful Salespeople

Because being in sales can be more competitive than American Ninja Warrior (and just as challenging!), successful salespeople are often reluctant to share their secrets. However, we talked to a few “sales warriors” who felt that with a new crop of millennials joining the salesforce, it was a good time to divulge a few hidden strategies.

  • We Are Not Natural-Born Salespeople Despite all the comments you’ve probably heard about being a “natural” or told that “you could sell anything,” few people are born salespeople. For most, it takes hard work and practice. For instance, great presentations don’t just happen. The best and most natural-sounding presentations are reviewed and rehearsed until the information becomes second nature. In fact, you can record yourself and review to make adjustments. Likewise, practicing eye contact and active listening is equally important. They are both skills that can be learned and honed.
  • We Tap into Psychic Skills Okay, not really psychic. But learning to anticipate objections and questions in advance and then preparing responses will increase your chances of making a sale tremendously. Some people may tell you that they are just good at thinking on their feet, but success is really about preparation.
  • We Hide Our Fear Well While there may be a few exceptions, most salespeople are secretly terrified of rejection. After all, being rejected is not a good feeling under any circumstances, let alone making an important sales pitch that you’ve worked on for weeks, or even months. However, successful salespeople are able to swallow their fear, appear composed and confident, and ask for the deal. Being prepared and practicing responses to possible objections will increase your confidence. For some tips, check out “How to Tackle the Most Common B2B Sales Objections.”
  • We Play Nice with Marketing Too often, marketing and sales are like islands separated by shark-infested waters! But, successful salespeople (and marketers) see each other as partners working toward the same overall goals. Taking advantage of the skills and expertise of the folks in marketing can help you become a more informed, efficient, and successful sales professional—and sales can assist marketing. Take the time to build rapport; meet often to discuss strategies, goals, and concerns; and share information and input. Trust us, you will reap a return on this investment!
  • We Ask for Digital Help Just because the technology is called “marketing automation (MA)” doesn’t mean it’s the sole domain of marketing. MA can streamline the sales process and reduce wasted efforts. For instance, scoring and grading features can boost the quality of leads, while life-cycle reports and other analytics can help nurture prospects throughout the buying journey, ultimately leading to more sales. Don’t be afraid of the technology; embrace it, understand how it works, and let it make your job easier.
  • We Still Do Homework Before we ever contact a potential client, we research the company, the products they produce, and the decision makers and their pain points. Getting to know the customer is perhaps the most important aspect of sales. Taking shortcuts here rarely results in success.

Let’s face it, the sales process has changed. Customers are now in control. Instead of relying on sales reps for information, the average B2B buyer conducts research on their own, completing an estimated 57% of the purchase process before engaging a supplier. Which begs the question, how are you addressing the other 43% of their journey?