CAREER Tips
Read these 27 CAREER Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Selling tips and hundreds of other topics.
Do It Anyway
Do It Anyway
- Written by Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
- Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
- Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
- Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
- Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
- Build it anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
- Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
- Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
- Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
- It was never between you and them - anyway.
Gain Respect & Credibility
It takes time to build 'credibility' regardless of anyone's age, gender, etc. Some things you might do are to dress 'professionally' when you're meeting face to face with prospects...going a bit further than Biz-Casual would certainly help with 'professional appearance credibility'. Respect...comes from the way you work with your prospects: get to know them as people - always 'do' what you tell them you are going to do - always 'offer to do SOMETHING' extra giving you a reason to continue to be in touch with serious prospects, just ... do something to make them remember YOU and as you do this, you'll be gaining respect (for keeping your word) and building credibility (as being very helpful). Know your product 'inside and out'. Make a list of the 'right questions' to ask to get them interested and begin 'feeling/seeing' themselves with your product.
Just 'BE YOURSELF' but 'BE A PROFESSIONAL'...
Super Stars
Super Stars are the very best! They prove themselves day in and day out. They provide the best solutions, answers, ideas, concepts, and 'stuff' that make a difference in other's lives, jobs, goals, needs, etc.
Super Stars have the ability to profit from learning situations and understand complex relationships.
BE a professional
Professional selling is that caliber of sales that calls for top flight teamwork between supervision and sales people…backed by training that will provide the motivation for a stronger selling effort and the skills and knowledge needed to make that effort pay off.
Build a case!
Because sales professionals are `professionals` they must look at a sale just like an attorney would look at a new client. To `win` you must build a `case` that will cause your `client` to think that he`d be an absolute `idiot` to buy from anyone else but you - regardless of the price. You can do this by educating your prospects on your services and products. Teach them `why` you are the best choice of all the choices out there.
Contract Selling
Many companies hire 'Independent Contractors' to sell their products and services. Actually, the word 'HIRE' is misleading. Independent Contractors are not considered employees and rarely get any company benefits or compensation other than commission for their sales. The upside to being an Independent Contractor is that you basically work for yourself.
Communication Skills
Everyone communicates - every day. To be an effective sales communicator, one must be able to convey thoughts and ideas in a clear and effective manner. Orally or verbally - communication skills determine what message is received by your prospect.
First & Lasting Impressions
It takes time to build 'credibility' regardless of anyone's age, gender, etc. Some things you might do are to dress 'professionally' when you're meeting face to face with prospects...going a bit further than Biz-Casual would certainly help with 'professional appearance credibility'. Respect...comes from the way you work with your prospects: get to know them as people - always 'do' what you tell them you are going to do - always 'offer to do SOMETHING' extra giving you a reason to continue to be in touch with serious prospects, just ... do something to make them remember YOU and as you do this, you'll be gaining respect (for keeping your word) and building credibility (as being very helpful). Know your product 'inside and out'. Make a list of the 'right questions' to ask to get them interested and begin 'feeling/seeing' themselves with your product.
Just 'BE YOURSELF' but 'BE A PROFESSIONAL'...
Get that Sales Job
Get a position with a world-class organization that will train you on Sales 101. The larger companies either have a training staff or will hire training consultants to come in and train new employees. As an employee, you will be held responsible for quota, turning in sales reports, and attending sales functions and meetings. These are all intended for the sales person's benefit. Learn something at each meeting, even if you have to ask dumb questions. Review your own sales reports and analyze them as if you were your own manager to spot trends. Understand what your quota is and develop a plan to achieve it.
What are you selling?
Think of the word "sales" and you assume someone is selling some-THING ... like widgets, cars, houses, clothes, hamburgers, books, etc. When we think about what we `sell` and compare that to what we `buy`, we have a different view! What people buy are solutions. We buy a car so we can go places, clothes to make us look snazzy, widgets to play with, books to learn, etc. We buy is a `solution` to a need, desire, problem, etc. Keep this in mind when you make a sales call to sell your product or service. Put yourself in the buyer`s shoes. Sell `solutions` - not `things`.
Listening Mistakes
Many people tend to think that listening is something we do without conscious effort, like breathing. Actually, the reverse is true. Listening is an active process that requires conscious effort.
Some listening mistakes include: interrupting your customer, listening for words instead of meaning or ideas, concentrating on what you are going to say next, etc.
Success in sales
Be who you want to be. Think being a successful sales person. Feel comfident and know your product. Remember selling is
Sell yourself, sell your company, sell your product. Connect with your customer and then fullfill his needs.
Solve a problem
First and foremost, if you can solve a prospect's needs, problems, or help them to achieve their own and company goals, you can have a customer for life.
Honesty
Never report a sale until you have the signed agreement in your hands. If a customer changes his/her mind, then it`s out of your hands; however, reporting sales before they are actually `a done deal` throws the hole `financial` process out of whack at some organizations. It also makes you look like the `wolf` the next time you have a `sale`.
Analyze your position
It's up to you to figure out why there is no stability. Are you in a position that is continually changing its role in our economy (for example a mortgage loan rep) or are you not satisfied with the choices you have already made in your career. It's good to read up not just about what your current position has to offer but what the future is in today's world.
How to Become a Successful Salesman
To be a successful sales person you must first be confident you can do the job, no matter what you are selling. Success begins from within. To be sucessful it means you must believe in your ability to win. And selling is about winning. Selling is being able to convince someone you have something they need. In return, you gain something you want, a sale. Although sales techniques are important, they aren't the only thing that closes the deal. The most important part of salesmanship is to understand the client's needs and what motivates them to buy. Add that to confidence and it becomes a deal closer.
Listening Skills
The importance of listening can't be emphasized too much. If we don't listen carefully, we miss important selling clues.
Ethics
Being a professional sales person requires the highest level of ethics. You're the one who will establish confidence in your customers. Ethics include qualities such as: honesty, protecting the customer's interest at all times, never using misleading statements, not using fear tactics…in other words, never being dishonest in any way.
Update your skills
Do sales professionals today use the same sales techniques as they did decades ago? Not really! Just as hairstyles, music, automobiles, clothing, and other `things`change, so does business and the skills used to be successful. Business, in general, has changed HUGELY over the last 35 years (computers, fax, cell phones, Internet, and more ways than I can list here) and so have sales professionals. It`s the `good ole boy` mentality that gave the sales profession little credibility (the traveling salesman). Today, being a sales professional is a position to be as proud of as being a doctor or a lawyer. If you walk in a door as one of the `good ole boys` and expect a sale, well "Good Luck". To be effective in selling today`s business people, move forward - not backward! Update your skills, your company, your tools, and your mind!
Thanks for your time!
When an employer calls you in for an interview for a sales position, they are looking at you as a candidate to join their team of professional sales people. One of the most important things you can do to `add` to your good first impression is to send them a `Thank You` note in some format through the mail. Sure, an e-mail will get your message across; however, when they receive a `special delivery` from the U.S. Post Office from you...it has HUGE impact over an e-mail. Tell people, " `Thank You` for picking me to interview as a potential member of your team."
Holiday Party Etiquette
When it's time for your company parties and banquets, the best way to save face (and career) is to think "professional meaner" all the way. Your company party is NOT like going out on the town. People are watching you and rumors are sure to spread like spam if you take one step in the wrong direction. Just ask yourself, "Would MOM approve of what I'm doing?" So... "Mind your p's & q's!"
You want to be a manager?
Think like a manager when evaluating your own performance. Would you promote YOU?
Job Change
I don't think there is any set rules to job changing unless you are in a seasonal job field. The season requirement will help you make that decision. However, if you are dissatisfied with your current position or know that better opportunties exist in your field for better pay or another job that has more chances for advancement, its up to you.
You can always have a job
If you are a qualified sales professional with proven results, you will always be able to get a job. Every business sells something. Every company needs sales professionals, or they don't bring in any business. Learn to be a professional sales person and you'll always be in demand as long as there is a company out there selling 'something'.
Get a Job
You can find a gazillion sites on the Internet listing sales positions available. Some list many additional career options, and some are specific to sales. One HOT sales site is: SalesJobs.com
The best way to find the best sales position is to visit a company's (one you would like to work with) website and go to their Employment-Jobs-Career-Etc. area.
Thanks for the interview
When an employer calls you in for an interview for a sales position, they are looking at you as a candidate to join their team of professional sales people. One of the most important things you can do to 'add' to your good first impression is to send them a 'Thank You' note in some format through the mail. Sure, an e-mail will get your message across; however, when they receive a 'special delivery' from the U.S. Post Office from you...it has HUGE impact over an e-mail. Tell people, " 'Thank You' for picking me to interview as a potential member of your team."
Who is a salesman?
Remember, all businesses sell ‘something'. They sell products, services, equipment, or perhaps several of these. Think about who buys products, services, equipment, etc. We all do. So, we're all buyers as well as sales people.
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| Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. |
