4 key ingredients for successful sales professionals.
Over the last few years of providing sales training for real estate professionals, I have come to understand how important are these four things for their success.
Training
While on the face of it being successful at sales seems simple, in reality, there is a little more to it. Being a great salesperson requires more than just talking to people. It is about building trust, saying the right things at the right time - and not saying things at the right time.
Great sales training programs should help sales people quickly understand the sales process to quickly become more effective. The approach of giving a sales rep a phone book and wishing them luck is outdated. The best sales training courses and programs achieve the following things:
Help to develop sales strategies to make the most of sales opportunities as they arise
Develop their sales strategy or strategies for effective sales
Understand the sales cycle and leverage it to increase sales
Use consultative selling techniques to build rapport with business owners and customers
Develop the sales skills to close the sale
Training helps new sales people and improves experienced ones. Effective sales people are happier, more productive, and focus on long term sales success.
Accountability
Even the most disciplined sales people "don’t feel like it" every once in a while. This is especially challenging for people who have built their sales careers in a full-time role before moving into a more independent position such as real estate sales.
I have seen countless sales people who got into real estate sales after being employed as a sales rep for many years, working 8 AM to 6 PM. Six months into their real estate journey they may not start until after 9 AM, simply because no one was checking on them.
Accountability eliminates the time and effort we spend on distracting activities and unproductive behaviour. If you are working as a salesperson setting your schedule and targets - and sticking to them - is a great way to improve your own sales process. If you are managing a sales team, it's a good idea to have regular check-ins to help the team stay focused.
Sales Support
A supportive work environment or a support person is essential for a sales rep to exceed targets. The support person can be at home, a colleague, a friend, or a manager. A support person provides emotional support and reassurance, which we all need.
Sales (especially real estate sales) is a roller coaster ride. Having someone to share wins and struggles with, someone to reinforce our worth and to believe in us, can be the difference between being getting weighed down by our troubles or excelling in our role.
As a general rule, people buy from happier, more present sales reps. So whatever you can do to support this is a good idea!
Desire
The most important ingredient for success as a salesperson is internal: desire. Without it, no amount of training, encouragement, or support will be effective.
If you're a sales manager, think about whether you're providing your team with what they need to be successful. If you're a salesperson, ask yourself if you're bringing the right attitude and passion to the job, and if you're being given the tools you need to succeed.
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