Any time you shoot for more than the status quo, you raise your “test potential.” And these tests typically come through obstacles – obstacles that threaten to throw you off course. The question is… will you pass the test?

Ryan Taft believes there is far more to being a great sales professional than simply being able to ask for the sale. Here is his list of the Top 10 Character Traits of Great Salespeople.

As Ryan Taft trains across the country he sees a tendency in sales professionals to solve customers’ problems too fast. You are probably thinking, “Dude…that’s our job.” I know. Technically, solving problems is your job , but what if you’re prematurely trying to solve a problem before you truly understand it? If you do, you’re likely to provide an incorrect solution for your customer.

Most major decisions in life involve some level of compromise. Think about the home you live in and the car you drive. Your customers are going to have to compromise as well. Your job as a sales professional is to help customers work through their compromise points to get to the sale.

Ryan Taft loves to observe peoples behaviors, one of the behaviors I’ve observed during the sales process are salespeople who actually stop the sale. Obviously your goal is to help your customers and close a sale (no duh). That being said, here are three behaviors you absolutely must avoid if you want your sales to explode.

Sales veterans know it all right? In fact, they’ve attended tons of training programs over the years! The truth is that the world has changed, the market has changed and the customer has changed. Here are three facts that prove we all still have something left to learn.

More and more distractions creep into our lives every day. Between the onset of technology, constant connection and human nature, it is amazing anyone gets anything done!

So how do you stay focused on sales execution when so many people, gadgets and gizmos compete for your attention? Here are six steps for slaying your distractions and crushing your sales execution.

Don’t worry, this isn’t another “Always Be Closing” article. Instead, Ryan Taft shows the need to focus on executing everything that goes into closing a sale before you actually close.

When a customer comes to you with a dilemma or an objection, do you try to solve the problem right away? Probably so – sales people are solution providers! Do you know why? Because you want to be the knight in shining armor! Here’s the problem: when you try to solve your customer’s problem too quickly, it has a tendency to backfire. Here’s a simple 5-step process for truly understanding and solving your customer’s objections.

As a sales professional, you get paid to deal with adversity. The better you are at it, the more people you will help and, in turn, the more commissions you will earn. Ryan Taft shares four tips to help you make the most of sales adversity.