We all can agree that starting a new career, regardless of the field can be daunting. When it comes to sales, you come across some distinct challenges. Salespeople are usually expected to learn the ropes when on the job, but the longer you take to learn, the longer it will take to get those sweet commissions. That being said, we have listed a few tips that can help you get up to speed with sales a lot faster.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By Brasil Creativo
Find Needs and Fill Them
Consumers don’t sit around and wait for salespeople to contact them hoping that they have something to sell. They are usually trying to solve their problems. The best way to make a sale is to show the prospects is that you have a solution for something that has been bothering them.
Always Prepare
If this is your first time making a sale, chances are you’re eager to get out there to convince prospects and make money. However, you will want to be ready if you want to be successful. This means understanding the product that you’re selling, creating a list of benefits, creating a cold calling script, understanding the demographics, coming up with a robust sales presentation and even doing pre-call research on each prospect.
Set Your Own Goals
The sales manager will certainly give you a set of goals to achieve for the firm. However, these tend to be the bare minimum. Also, they might not cover areas that are imperative to you. For instance, you might be responsible for a particular number of sales per month, but the manager isn’t likely to give you a goal of making a certain amount of money or even career development.
Make a Habit of Tracking Your Metrics
Keeping track of what you are doing is the only way to tell how well you’re performing. You should at least track how many calls you make, the appointments you schedule and also the number of sales you make per week or monthly. This information will help you manage your pipeline. By tracking and analyzing your activities, you will be able to pinpoint areas where you’re not doing well and implement things that will help you improve.
Learn to Handle Rejection
Rejection is common when it comes to taking the role of a salesperson. That is simply part of the career. Over time, you will learn how to ignore rejection and toughen up, but it is not an easy thing for some people. Successful salespeople usually create techniques that work well for them. An example is taking every no as a step closer to getting a yes. So, as you develop your career, find a coping strategy that works best for you.
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Build a Network
When done right, networking can make your sales job way much easier. Building a robust network will provide a wide array of benefits, from gaining warm leads to giving an inside scoop on a tough potential client. However, do not rush things when it comes to this aspect, especially if this is your first time. You should focus on proving yourself to the contacts instead of trying to benefit from them. Quintiles IQVIA wrote a piece recently that covers sales very well.
Do Not Be Afraid to Try New Things
This is a career that calls for flexibility and constant learning. It can be tough for some people to keep attempting new things, as it is tempting to stick to one style of presentation or the same sales channel, especially if it works. However, getting into a rut is a risk of paying the price in lost sales. It is important that you keep exploring and learning new things, techniques and stretching out your mind in general. This is the only way to grow your career in sales.