1. Take a sales training class.
Your skills can stay current with sales training and professional development options. You have a competitive advantage in the game of sales if you are a perpetual learner. You have the option to enroll in free certification courses offered by companies like HubSpot Academy or Sales Engine in addition to paying for in-person or online sales training.
Sales presentations, sales tactics, social selling, and sales coaching are just a few examples of the sales talents that can be covered in courses or certifications. Think about the program’s duration, purpose, location, and cost when selecting a sales training course.
2. Use roleplaying.
You should always be ready for every situation that may arise during an exploratory call with a potential client. Additionally, it’s crucial to practice conversational flow and develop authentic questioning techniques as opposed to interrogative ones.
Once a month, your team can engage in roleplaying exercises on their own, or you can locate a sales training program that includes roleplaying exercises.
Your team could try a variety of roleplaying games. The VP of Product at HubSpot suggests the following roleplaying games in this blog post:
- Dealing with unusual circumstances
- Developing the confidence to break up with prospects
- Prospects being pressed on the reasons they’re stuck
- How to get over common objections
3. Develop your speaking skills.
Up to 75% of people, according to Glossophobia, have public speaking anxiety. This may happen to anyone, including extroverted salespeople. Like most things, perfecting something takes practice. You will become more comfortable with something as you practice it, which will reduce your anxiety.
Being a confident communicator is crucial for sales representatives in order to connect with and persuade potential customers. You’ll have to produce sales presentations, demonstrate products, and persuade a number of decision-makers during the sales process. Communication that is confident is essential for success.
Attend events hosted by groups like Toastmasters, which offer opportunities for professionals to practice and learn public speaking so they can become confident communicators, to practice public speaking.
4. Look for a mentor.
You can significantly increase your sales performance by working with a mentor or getting sales coaching. In this blog post regarding sales coaching, Aja Frost, a contributor to the HubSpot Sales Blog, discusses it. She claims, “In a study by the Sales Executive Council (SEC), which looked at thousands of salespeople, it was discovered that having good coaching led to improvements in long-term performance of up to 19%.
According to a different CSO Insights report, coaching and quota attainment are related. 94.8% of reps fulfill quota when coaching abilities go above and beyond expectations. Only 84.5% of times do coaching skills need improvement.”
Consult with your manager or see if they can recommend some successful salesmen at your organization who can serve as your mentors. You can ask your mentor for suggestions on effective sales tactics, ask them to role-play with you, or even have them observe a sales call so they can give you honest feedback. This connection will help you develop many sales talents and give you a chance to get feedback.
5. Make inquiries.
Successful individuals are inquisitive. The same applies to effective salespeople, of course.
Ask your manager or colleagues for guidance if a sales call doesn’t go as you expected it to or if you encounter a query or objection you aren’t sure how to handle. Asking questions will help you rapidly address any issues that may arise later.
It’s critical to ask your prospect the correct questions in addition to those that are pertinent to your position. Find out what their objectives are and what their problems are. Then and only then will you be able to actually start looking for a solution and comprehend how your good or service might help them.
6. Embrace life-long learning.
You can increase your sales talents by being a lifelong learner, as if I haven’t stated it enough. Due to advancements in technology and culture, the sales sector is always evolving. It’s crucial to keep learning and growing as a sales specialist by reading books and articles, listening to podcasts, and participating actively in your work.
For instance, reading articles about the software business will help you position your product or service in perspective and get ready for questions that potential customers may ask if you work in sales for a software company.
7. Enhance prospecting abilities.
Prospecting may not be the most glamorous area of sales, but it is one of the abilities that can most significantly boost your sales. Additionally, salespeople spend the most time on this duty.
Therefore, sales representatives should improve their prospecting abilities. You can employ a variety of prospecting strategies, such as making warm calls, holding webinars, and spending time on social media, to efficiently prospect leads.
8. Go over the sales calls you made.
Reviewing what you did right and poorly during recorded sales conversations can help you learn a lot. Ask your sales manager if they host movie reviews; if not, start your own with your colleagues. Salespeople can listen to and comment on a tape of a sales representative’s call by watching movie reviews.
As per Aja Frost, “The same query is asked repeatedly: “Why did this prospect accept the call?” If the salesperson is unable to respond to this query, it is usually because they are unable to pinpoint the buyer’s most urgent requirement. And it suggests they might blow the opportunity. The salesman cannot effectively communicate the value of their product to the prospect without understanding what motivates them.”
You have the chance to develop your sales abilities through movie evaluations, which will help you generate more revenue. Participate in film reviews by listening more and speaking less. You can receive comments based on the degree to which the sales call was tailored to the buyer’s needs, your general demeanor and sincerity, your ability to set the agenda, or your product knowledge.
Prepare your film reviews with a rubric or template in mind so you’ll know what topics to address and have clear next steps. You might, for instance, ask coworkers to rate your inquiries, authenticity, and product expertise on a scale of one to five. You might then request specific recommendations for actions you could take to improve.
9. Attend to criticism.
In the same way, pay attention to the criticism your peers and superiors offer you when you participate in film reviews. Although receiving comments on your performance can be difficult, it is essential if you want to develop your sales abilities.
Pay close attention to comments made on the questions you’re posing, the conversation’s flow, and your rapport. Sales representatives must learn these crucial sales abilities if they want to succeed.
For instance, if you talked swiftly from one question to the next during a film review, you might get the criticism that it seemed more like an interview than an actual conversation.
In this case, you may modify your sales call to start the conversation with more small talk or follow-up questions.
10. Maintain contact with the client.
You need to establish a rapport with your prospects in order to successfully close a deal. However, doing this over the phone for a few minutes with a total stranger is difficult. Take into account your relationship with your prospects as you work to increase your sales. Have you conducted your research, developed compelling inquiries, and honed your exploratory calls?
Authenticity is the key to developing relationships. One of the finest methods to stay connected to your consumers and increase sales is to have genuine, fruitful conversations.
If you’ve done your research, you may, for instance, bring up anything the prospect has written online. Use phrases like “I read your blog that…” or “I saw that on LinkedIn.” These are tailored methods for starting real conversations with your prospects.
11. Get ready to handle objections.
You will encounter concerns and inquiries regarding your goods or services during sales calls. For this reason, it’s crucial to have ready-made responses for these concerns and to be as prepared as possible for them.
Learn about your buyer persona and take the time to comprehend their problems in order to be ready for frequent objections. Ask them whether they require your assistance and whether you can assist them.
You may sharpen your sales talents and perform better by paying close attention to the problems your prospects are trying to solve.
12. Experiment with your closing strategies.
Your sales process is being improved all the time. Try various closing methods to hone your sales skills.
According to marketing and sales expert Adam Wiggins, you can employ strategies like:
- When salespeople make an offer that includes a unique benefit that encourages rapid purchase, they are said to be making a “Now or Never Close.”
- Summary Closes: Salespeople use this closing strategy to persuade prospects to sign by emphasizing the value and advantages of the products the client might acquire.
- Sharp Angle Closes: Since they are aware of their advantage and that you anticipate them, prospects frequently request price discounts or add-ons. Try using the sharp angle close technique to surprise these prospects if your sales manager has given the go-ahead.
- Close with a question: It’s critical for reps to grill prospects.
- Assumptive Closes: This closing strategy makes use of the benefits of optimistic thinking. It can have a huge impact on the remainder of the sales process if you think you’ll complete this business from the first email outreach.
- Conclusion: If you have children, you’ve probably discovered that removing a toy from them makes them want it even more. Use this comparable psychological technique on your potential customers.
- Soft Closes: A soft close is a strategy to offer a prospect the advantages of your product before asking a gentle query to see if they’d be interested in knowing more.
You’ll keep refining and enhancing your sales abilities by experimenting with your sales strategies.
13. Make adjustments to your sales cycle.
Your sales cycle is often a tactical strategy for how you market and sell your goods and services. Usually, nothing is going to change in this regard. At every level of your sales cycle, iteration is crucial.
You should always investigate ways to enhance your prospecting talents, for instance, if your sales cycle has the steps of “prospecting, connecting, researching, presenting, and closing.” Additionally, you want to practice public speaking, read up on how to conduct an effective exploratory call, and experiment with various closing methods.
You may consistently hone your sales abilities and achieve higher statistics each month by iterating on each stage of your sales cycle.
14. Monitor your development.
Monitoring your progress is the most effective technique to advance your sales abilities. Set sales targets and keep track of your performance each week or month to monitor your success. Even better, you can conduct a hybrid A/B test.
Start by focusing on one item from this list, for instance. Consider that you want to test out various closing strategies. Take note of your present close rate and use that information to track your close rate. Your close rate, has it increased? This kind of test can assist you in determining what aspects of your sales process are effective and which ones are ineffective.
15. Make listening abilities stronger.
You must master the skill of active listening if you want to be a successful salesperson. Usually, when a prospect is speaking, you can be formulating responses to their queries and planning your own responses in your brain.
Instead, give the prospect your undivided attention while they speak. If you’re not sure you understand them, ask them to say it again. This enables you to determine what their issue is and whether you can help them address it.
Consider opportunities for professional growth if you want to boost your sales and perform better. Always be on the lookout for ways to improve your sales abilities and increase your output.
Gain Professional Growth by Developing Your Sales Capabilities
You’ll develop in your current position and successfully improve your sales career by consistently honing your sales talents. It’s crucial to keep learning as you take on new problems, cultivate new buyer types, and work to upsell existing customers. Create a selling strategy that will make you stand out among your team by using the abilities listed above.
