May 21, 2024
by Izabelle Hundrev / May 21, 2024
Are salespeople born or made?
This age-old question has circulated around sales teams for decades. Sure, there are people with natural personality traits who might be more likely to succeed in a sales role. But there are also people who have been rigorously trained in sales skills and armed with enough resources to have an equal shot.
So, the answer is simple: it’s both.
Sales skills are the abilities and techniques that allow you to convince customers to purchase a product or service. They encompass a blend of personal qualities, communication methods, and sales knowledge that help build trust, identify needs, and ultimately close deals.
Technology like sales training and onboarding software can amplify an organization's efforts to coach newly hired people on learning the ins and outs of their sales processes and ramp up their selling abilities.
In this article, we have compiled a list of 20 must-have sales skills every sales or business development rep needs for success.
While you might not be closing deals as a business development rep just yet, this is the right time in your sales career to build on the skills you’ll need to succeed in the future. Let’s get started.
It’s no secret that one of the hardest parts about sales is the rejection factor. More often than not, prospects hang up on you, ignore your emails, or do anything possible to avoid being sold to. To cut through the noise and reach the right people, you need to be persistent.
To clarify, being persistent doesn’t mean bugging prospects every single day with mindless phone calls or emails. It’s going to take multiple touches to get ahold of people, but every single attempt should bring value to the person on the other end. Additionally, being persistent goes hand in hand with being respectful. Use your best judgment and know when to move on after being told “No.”
One of the benefits of a job in sales is the freedom to structure your schedule however you’d like. The downside is that you have to hold yourself accountable for managing your time and crossing items off your to-do list.
Things get more complicated when you consider having to prioritize your time between different prospects, especially when it’s difficult to tell which ones are most likely to buy. For this reason, sales reps need to have strong time management skills to judge which activities will yield the best results.
Tip: Feeling burnt out? Read this guide for advice on boosting your sales productivity to avoid being spread thin.
Just because you are confident in what you’re selling doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be honest about its potential pitfalls. Gone are the days of the shady salesperson who will do anything to close a deal. If you’re looking to be at the top of your sales game, you need to be honest.
If you’re speaking with a buyer and can tell that they won’t be fit to buy at this time, you should be honest with them (and yourself) and not move forward in the sales process. It’s best to be fully transparent rather than set the foundation for a very unhappy customer down the line.
Active listening can separate a good sales rep from a great sales rep. If you’re on a call with a prospective buyer and all you’re doing is thinking about what you’re going to say next, it’s not a positive experience for the person on the other end. It’s important to listen to what they’re saying and guide the rest of the conversation from there.
Prospects are naturally inclined not to trust salespeople, and they’re going to come at you with a handful of objections. As expected, it’s going to take some persuading to get them to warm up to you.
Persuasion isn’t about getting someone to buy something they don’t want or need. Instead, you should approach persuasion as a means of negotiating with the prospect and providing value to them. Your method should be consultative, offering the buyer a solution to their problem. Since every salesperson has a different style of persuasion, it’s a good idea to collaborate with your team and learn from their individual techniques.
Tip: Learn how to design a persuasive presentation for your sales pitches.
The way you say something is just as important as what you’re actually saying. A strong delivery could make or break a sales conversation, so it’s important to feel confident in your pitch and show that in the way you speak and present yourself.
You should have confidence in your own ability and in the product or service you’re trying to sell. If you’re truly passionate about the company you work for and know that your product could benefit the buyer, let it show. Even if they don’t ultimately choose to buy your product, prospects will always appreciate a sales rep who can lead an authentic and genuine conversation.
Consider investing in conversation intelligence software that allows you to record your sales calls so you can go back and listen to them. This way, you and your manager can critique your call and identify areas of opportunity for improving your delivery.
This may seem obvious, but you need to know the details of what you’re selling inside and out. Nothing will make you lose credibility in front of a prospect like not being able to answer a product-related question or providing them with misinformation. Sales are all about building trust, and buyers want to know that the sales rep they’re speaking with knows what they’re talking about.
Most companies conduct extensive product training to familiarize reps with all the necessary information. That said, you should always seek to expand your knowledge and turn to your coworkers as a resource if you have questions or are curious to learn more. After all, knowledge is power.
Tip: In addition to your own product knowledge, it's important to understand what your potential customers know—and don't. Your online presence is a great resource; use it to research your perception of the market and get more feedback from customers. See the impact of B2B reviews.
Stories sell. No, really – they do. Use your brand to tell a story that connects with prospects on an emotional level and helps them remember why you stand out over the competition. Telling a story helps others relate to you, and it brings them away from the “sales” aspect of the conversation. If you’re able to connect with prospects on a deeper level, you’re building trust and fostering a stronger connection.
That being said, there is a time and a place for this. Use your best judgment about when it is appropriate to bring up an anecdote, and make sure that you’re making a clear connection to the point you’re trying to make. If the prospect doesn’t see the connection, it could come across as completely off base.
As a sales rep, you’ll be talking to all different kinds of people from all walks of life. It’s possible you will connect with some prospects right away, while others might be more difficult to find common ground with. Either way, a good salesperson needs to be adaptable. You’ll have to adjust your tone and delivery based on the verbal and non-verbal cues given off by the person on the other line.
As with most skills, this will take practice. As you get used to running sales qualifying and discovery calls, you’ll learn ways to adapt to different personalities and establish connections early on.
Sales isn’t a piece of cake. You’ll be told “no” countless times—it’s just part of the job, and you can’t let it get to you. That’s why being resilient is an incredibly important skill to have if you want to be successful. Rejection can’t slow you down. The best thing to do is bounce back and keep on moving forward.
Relationships are the cornerstone of sales. By focusing on building trust and rapport with potential customers, you create a foundation for a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. This means going beyond just the sale and genuinely caring about their needs and goals. Investing in building strong relationships with your customers creates long-term partnerships that benefit everyone involved.
Don't let the interaction stop after the initial contact. Keep your customers engaged throughout the sales process by providing valuable content, checking in regularly, and addressing any concerns they may have. This shows you value their business and builds customer loyalty.
Leverage the power of social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with potential customers, share industry insights, and establish yourself as a thought leader. Social selling allows you to build relationships at scale and nurture leads before directly reaching out.
Mastering customer interaction is crucial in sales. You need to be able to clearly communicate the value proposition of your product or service, tailoring your message to resonate with different audiences. This includes using concise language, powerful storytelling, and ensuring your body language conveys confidence.
Being a good salesperson isn't just about talking; it's about truly listening to what your customers are saying, both verbally and nonverbally. Pay close attention to their needs, challenges, and pain points. This active listening allows you to understand their situation and craft targeted solutions.
Objection handling is a crucial skill in sales that involves addressing concerns prospects raise about your product or service. It's the art of navigating these objections and turning them into opportunities to move the sale forward. Instead of being pushy or argumentative, it's about being a problem solver who can demonstrate the value your product or service brings to the prospect's specific situation.
Identifying and qualifying potential customers is the first step in the sales process. This involves researching your target market, understanding their needs, and filtering out unqualified leads. Effective prospecting ensures you're focusing your time and energy on leads who are most likely to convert.
Negotiation is a dance, and skilled salespeople know how to navigate it to reach win-win deals. This involves understanding your customer's needs and budget, being prepared with counteroffers, and focusing on building value throughout the process. Strong negotiation skills ensure you close deals that are profitable for both you and your customer.
Don't be afraid to ask for the sale! Secure the deal by guiding your customer towards a buying decision at the right time. This involves summarizing the value proposition, addressing any last-minute concerns, and presenting a clear call to action. Effective closing techniques help you convert qualified leads into paying customers.
The sale doesn't end after the contract is signed. Following up with your customers after the sale shows you care about their satisfaction and opens doors for future opportunities. This could involve checking in to see if they have any questions, offering ongoing support, or informing them about new products or services that might be a good fit.
In order to keep these skills sharp, salespeople must:
Becoming an ultra-successful salesperson doesn’t happen overnight. Skills take time to build, and it’s best to try to improve in small ways each day. Whether or not you were born to be in sales, you’ll notice that with practice and commitment, anything is possible.
Check out the latest sales enablement statistics for 2024 to stay on track with industry standards and best practices.
Izabelle is a Partner Marketing Specialist at InStride and a former content specialist at G2. Outside of work, she is passionate about all things pop culture, food, and travel. (she/her/hers)
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