Five Sales Behaviors That Matter
Success in a highly competitive field like sales can be difficult to come by. The vast majority of salespeople are mediocre at best, coasting through their careers, closing deals here and there, but never achieving the level of success that would indicate they are experts in their field.
However, some sales professionals—the best of the best—stand out. They exhibit certain characteristics that enable them to succeed where others fail.
Though skills training and sales coaching can make a significant difference in the level of success attained, developing certain sales behaviors may be the most effective way to enable more effective selling.
Digging deeper, here are the sales behaviors that drive the success of every prospective salesperson in the industry.
1. Market Value
In order to close a sale, some salespeople will only focus on the price of their solution. They believe that price is the primary motivator for buyers’ final purchase behavior and that they should focus on trying to overcome price objections.
However, the best salespeople understand that buyers are more concerned with the value they will receive. As a result, they learn how to provide value to sales prospects.
They ensure that the decision to offer a solution addresses the buyer’s identified needs, and then they demonstrate the benefits that will be delivered efficiently and effectively so that the buyer can visualize how their life will improve as a result of the solution.
2. Questioning and Listening
Successful salespeople do not waste time on unqualified leads. They successfully qualify leads by pointed questions about budget, decision-making authority, timelines, competing remedies, needs, and challenges to determine whether or not the prospect is ready and able to buy and to learn what motivates their decisions.
They do not try to sell unless they understand the prospects’ needs, wants, and pain points. The best salespeople ask more questions than less talented salespeople who assume they know everything.
And, after asking these questions, they pay close attention to the responses and absorb what they hear to ensure that they truly understand.
3. Originality
The best salespeople understand the value of creativity in sales. They are aware that they will face numerous challenges and overcome numerous obstacles to complete the transaction.
So, in order to close the sale, they use their ingenuity and creativity to find out-of-the-box solutions to problems.
They understand that one-size-fits-all products and services do not work for everyone. They are conscientious about tailoring their solutions to the needs of their customers. Their flair for creative solutions and problem-solving enables them to close deals that less talented salespeople are unable to.
4. Nurturing
Nurturing is one of the sales behaviors that truly drives success. Some salespeople are only interested in making a sale, and it shows. They are only concerned with the transaction that will result in a larger commission check.
Successful salespeople, on the other hand, invest the time necessary to:
- Cultivate relationships
- Build trust
- Increase credibility
- Nurture prospects and customers
They understand that buyers want to connect with the businesses with which they do business. They understand that in order to close the sale, generate referrals, and create brand ambassadors, they must focus on prospect nurturing and customer service.
And their efforts pay off.
5. Lifelong Learning
Whereas some veteran salespeople refuse to change their ways and begin to fall behind, successful salespeople thrive due to their thirst for knowledge. These sales representatives are constantly researching the latest news, trends, and best practices in the ever-changing marketing world.
They are constantly working to learn new skills, strategies, and methods to help them close more deals. In today’s digital world, they adjust and alter their behavior when necessary.
Wrapping Up
Not all sales professionals are alike; some are better marketers than others. This is because the successful ones have been honed by experience so that they can establish themselves as industry experts.
Remember that if you want the best outcome, you must start by exuding the best sales behaviors.
