Can You Pass this Sales Test, Asks The Sales Coach?

Beyond product knowledge, sales skills, and marketing skills there are three essentials for sales success? Do you know what they are? Can you guess? Before continuing please answer for yourself the question, “what are the three essential skills for sales success?” nnThe first essential skill is the ability to initiate, develop, and extend relationships. Every salesperson understands this concept when it comes to nurturing a prospect. However, among the most powerful relationships you need are those with your so-called competitors. In fact, your income will be directly proportional to your ability to network with your fellow professionals. This completely eludes all average salespeople because they have a scarcity mentality. They think networking with other professionals in their industry is a waste of their time, and they fear those networking peers will steal business from them. Poppy-cock networking with your fellow professionals and cooperating collaborating is hugely beneficial for all of you. Instead of viewing your fellow professionals as competitors view them as potential partners, and find ways to work together to gain more business for everyone involved.nnThe second essential skill is determination. One of my dear friends is also a sales coach. She has commented on more than one occasion that I’m like a bull dog. I know others might be offended, but I take this as a compliment and she means it as one. I know that determination is an essential skill for sales success. Determination is what drives you to find a way when it seems like there isn’t one. Determination is what drives you to get the help you need when you’re stuck. Determination makes you forge ahead when others would give up. Determination is what makes you refuse to give up, and forces you to discover what you don’t know, so you can get what you want to get while helping others get what they want to get.nnThe final essential for sales success the key to increasing sales is communication. The majority of salespeople are completely wrong about communication. They think communication is about helping others to understand them and their message. Wrong, wrong, wrong…communication is all about producing a result. The result your communication is intended to produce is the action of buying what you have to offer. If your communication does not produce that result consistently and effectively you, my friend, have a communication problem. You produce the result you desire from your communications by understanding the other person, and what they want and need.nnWell, how did you do? Did you pass the test with flying colors or were your answers a little off the mark? Now this isn’t a pass/fail test, but rather a test of degrees. No one is all wrong a total failure in any or all of the essential skills for sales success. Everyone has an opportunity to improve. The difference between hot water and steam is only one degree. The difference between the winner of a race and the first loser may only be one one-hundreth of a second. What do you need to do, how can you ramp up your essential skills, so you can be the winner this time every time all the time?n