Some salespeople have natural charm and charisma. They make it look easy turning casual conversations into meaningful relationships. Others have a knack for negotiation, making the whole give-and-take process look effortless. While some professionals seem born to work in sales, any promo pro can rise to the top of their game — it just takes refining a few important skills.
Rebecca Riserbato, a contributor to the HubSpot blog, says that great salespeople never stop learning. They continue exploring new ideas, testing new strategies and developing new skills. What are the most valuable sales skills to work on now? We share Riserbato’s thoughts in this issue of PromoPro Daily.
Framing skills. Riserbato says framing is all about how you, as a sales professional, maintain control of the conversation throughout your pitch or sales process. You can build this skill by making sure your pitch is easy to understand. You should tell a story rather than present mere facts, and you should always present your promo ideas as the solution they need.
Collaboration skills. Sales is a team effort. Make sure you work well with people both inside and outside your organization to help prospects reach their business goals. Riserbato says the best salespeople are easy to work with and able to come up with mutually beneficial agreements.
Social selling skills. Social media shouldn’t be left only to your company’s marketing department. Riserbato says social selling — or connecting with prospects using social platforms — is an important sales skill. She advises optimizing your professional social media profiles to attract potential clients and then taking a thoughtful approach to engage with your connections.
Active listening skills. Nearly everything in sales comes down to knowing how to be an active listener. You can’t communicate and build genuine relationships if you don’t have the ability to listen to and truly understand your prospects. When prospects feel heard and listen to, Riserbato says it creates a sense of connection that keeps the sales process moving in the right direction.
Emotional intelligence. This is a crucial skill to master if you want to make lasting and profitable connections with your prospects, Risberato says. When you display high emotional intelligence, you can better read and influence interactions, and as a result, stand apart from every other salesperson.
Video skills. Remote work is here to stay. That’s why it’s important to develop your knowledge of using video platforms to connect with new leads, answer questions and engage with prospects. Riserbato recommends finding the best lighting, props and filming area, and then testing out different video lengths to see what resonates with your target audience. She says mastering the video creation process will put you leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.
Communication skills. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively is a non-negotiable for sales professionals, Riserbato says. Strive to continuously hone your written and spoken communication skills to perform well in your role.
Great salespeople are lifelong learners. Think about how you want to improve as a promo pro and plan to develop the skills you need to grow. Whether you find a mentor, attend trainings or spend more time reviewing your sales calls, small actions can lead to big results.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Rebecca Riserbato is a senior content writer, strategist and editor who contributes to the HubSpot blog.
