How to Go From an Average Salesman to a GREAT Salesman

For the many people today who are trying to make it in the competitive sales market, it is important to be able to separate yourself from the pack and to really stand out in the market. There are so many good salesmen out there, but in order to truly be a success, you need to be better than a good salesman, you need to be a great salesman.

Taking yourself from an above-average salesperson to one of the best in the business is no easy task. After all, sales is one of the most competitive markets out there, and there are so many talented individuals to compete with. In order to make this jump from good to great, you need to be willing to put in the time and the effort and to really make sure you are taking a few extra steps in order to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Keep these tips in mind and work on improving these areas of your sales strategy and you will be on your way to transforming yourself from a good salesman to a great one.

Nurture targeted mailing lists.

Most sales professionals have targeted mailing lists. They are some of the best tools to come from the digital age and they can go a long way in helping any salesperson reach more people and get the attention of more clients. However, just having a targeted mailing list isn’t enough. You need to take the time to really nurture your targeted mailing list.

As a truly great sales professional, you need to approach everything you do as though you are building a business, not just making an individual sale. You need to take the time to really foster relationships and treat people on your contact list as current and potential customers instead of just a way to earn money. You need to invest your time in people in order to get the return that you want from them.

You need to place some of your time and effort into growing this list, but just as much time into nurturing the list that you already have. This means taking time to reach out to individuals in a more personal way such as private messages and follow ups. This also means crafting the content that appears in these mailing lists so that you are actually bringing value to those that appear on your lists.

When you have a targeted mailing list, it is important that you treat it the right way and that you give people on the list the attention that you need. Having someone’s personal contact information is a great step up when it comes to securing a sale, of any type. Make sure that you are valuing that information and that you are treating the people on your mailing lists like actual people, not just like a potential profit.

Find your favorite CRM.

One thing that all great sales people do is that they find their favorite, or their preferred CRM. The term CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and it refers to the different strategies or styles that people in sales can take when it comes to interacting with their customers. This is relatively broad term that is used to describe the process of attracting customers, analyzing those customers and then satisfying those customers. There are all different types of software programs that sales professionals can use to implement their CRM as well. However, the most important thing to start with is deciding on a specific type of CRM. There are three main approaches to choose from:

• Operational CRM- A program that provides support for a business while allowing the company to take care of their customers. An operational CRM typically includes tools like call centers or websites.
• Collaborative CRM- A program that involves communication with a customer and that covers direct interaction with that individual including customer feedback and direct customer interaction. Typically companies execute collaborative CRM through automated voice responses or email. The goal of this strategy is to collect information to improve upon services already offered.
• Analytical CRM- This approach analyses available customers data in an effort to optimize the effectiveness of a sale or marketing strategy. It looks at customer data as well as data on products or services.

Knowing which of these three types of CRM strategies you need is a positive first step towards choosing the right type of CRM program, software or strategy. For those with big sales goals to meet and lots of customers to manage the right CRM program can be the key to managing their customers and reaching their goals.

Get into the right professional circles.

No matter what type of sales you are in, if you look at the top professionals in that field, chances are they are going to emphasize the importance of networking and remind any aspiring sales star that it is all about who you know. With this in mind any person looking to take that step from good sales professional to great sales professional will pay close attention to who they are surrounding themselves with and make a major effort to ensure that they are in the right professional circles.

This means joining business groups, attending networking events and making sure you are rubbing elbows with the right professionals. It can take time, work and money but surrounding yourself with these individuals can help you make contacts that can help you make sales. It also puts you in great company and around individuals that can teach you a thing or two about sales all while helping you build a better reputation in the industry.

Who you associate yourself with professionally can make all of the difference in the world in how others perceive you as a sales professional. These professional circles can also provide you with an invaluable sounding board that can help you hone your skills, learn new tactics and become the best sales professional you can be.

Start Researching

The best sales professionals out there aren’t just the ones with the natural charm and grace that it takes to make a sale, they are the ones with the most knowledge on what they are selling. If you want to transform from a good salesman to a great one then you need to start doing more research. Even if you think you know your product fairly well, there is always room to know more.

A truly great salesman not only knows his product, but he knows his competitor’s product as well, including how his product or service is better than or different from those other options on the market. Great salesmen also know their company inside and out and they know everything that is going on in their industry. This means each and every day truly great sales professionals are reading about what is going on in their industry so they can stay on top of the latest trends. You need to constantly be educating yourself so you can stay ahead of the curve and pass this valuable information on to your customers. Never forget that especially in the sales world, knowledge is power.

You need to have enough information in your back pocket to be able to find a solution to every customer problem that comes your way and to make sure that your customer is getting the best outcome possible give their situation.

Becoming a great salesperson is a truly difficult and trying experience. It is not easy. If it was everyone would be successful sales pros and making a great deal of money in the process. Any sales professionals should be willing to invest their time, and some of their money into building a brand and a business for themselves that others can rely on and respect. If you don’t have the respect of others then you shouldn’t expect to be able to make a sale. People need to trust you and feel like they have a relationship with you, before you can expect them to spend any significant amount of money.

If you want to be better than a “good” salesman you need to always approach every situation thinking that “good” is simply not “good enough.” You need to strive to be great with every little detail, from the first “hello” to the final handshake. Individuals who are truly great sales professionals are able to operate in this way, to run their own race and to constantly perform in a consistent manner, no matter what is going on in the world around them. Even in a difficult economy, truly great sales pros have the talent and the ability to perform. The only question is, are you willing to take the steps to transform into one of these truly great sales experts?