The 7 Key Sales Skills Your Sales Team Needs to Master

HandshakeBusinesses are operating in the most competitive market we’ve ever known. Consumers are inundated with sales messages at home, online, and at the office. So, it’s more important than ever to hone your team’s sales skills. However, as many as 70% of companies don’t conduct any sales trainings – leaving the remaining 30% to dominate the market. Where does your company fall in that equation?

When developing a highly skilled sales team, it’s important to start with a full understanding of the 7 Key Sales Skills that allow your company to surpass sales goals and reach new heights. The good news is that each of these sales skills are learnable, and with effective sales training, each salesperson can improve their performance and their job satisfaction.

  1. Prospecting

The first step in the sales process involves creating a strategy for lead generation and qualification. It begins by asking yourself: who are my prospects, where are they, and how can I reach them? The goal of this key sales skill is to develop a list of the highest quality prospects – those who can and will buy from you.

  1. Establishing Rapport

Turning prospects into customers depends on your ability to build trust, credibility, and confidence. Especially with B2B sales, big-ticket items, and services, prospects won’t buy until a relationship has been developed and they believe you are acting in their best interests.

  1. Accurately Identifying Needs

The most important thing you can do as a salesperson is to uncover the true needs of your prospects or problems they are facing. This empowers you to position your products or services as solutions. You accomplish this by asking focused, targeted questions, so you’re able to fully understand what they need and are willing to pay for.

  1. Presenting as the Best Choice

Your sales presentations are your opportunity to show, teach, and explain the benefits of what you’re selling. Since you’ve already identified their needs, you’re now able to persuasively tailor your presentation as a solution – focusing on what your product or service “does” as opposed to what it “is.”

  1. Answering Objections

Every prospect has natural concerns – whether it’s about price, quality, or capability. Learning to effectively overcome these objections enables you to overcome the hurdles that would otherwise keep them from buying. It’s important to remember that objections don’t mean no. In fact, it’s a sign the prospect is interested.

  1. Closing the Sale

As elementary as it may sound, closing a sale is dependent on your ability to ask for the order and communicate to the prospect what he or she needs to do to complete the transaction. Never underestimate the power of confidently asking your prospects to make a buying decision and take action.

  1. Getting Referrals & Return Business

The real measure of success is based on repeat business and referrals. It’s important to continue to nurture relationships after the sale is complete, so you can ask them to buy again and spread the word on your behalf. By continually building and maintaining your “customers for life,” your continued sales success will be assured.

For more tips on sales success, read our post: Sales Effectiveness 101: 5 Steps to a Successful Sales Strategy.

Start Building Your Team’s Sales Skills with Training from FocalPoint Canada.

At FocalPoint Canada, we guide our clients in overcoming challenges and leveraging opportunities with proven processes and methodologies that have been used by thousands of successful businesses over the past two decades. Our FocalPoint business coaches use their expertise to teach our time-tested methods through individual coaching, group sessions, or trainings and workshops.

It all starts with a conversation, click here to get started.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *