Times they are a changing, unfortunately a lot of salespeople are not following suit. There are old-school salespeople at work everywhere; if you’re not convinced, visit your local big box furniture store, or car dealership, and witness them in their natural habitat. That’s not to say that there aren’t good salespeople out there too; there are, but even the good ones could be better. Here’s a quick run-down of the characteristics of a new-age salesperson.
The new-age salesperson is informed, they sell to people who want to buy and discover what their customer needs. They know the objective of each sales interaction and partner with buyers in the decision-making process. They also know that closing a sale is not necessarily the objective of every interaction with a prospect.
He or she plans ahead and knows in advance their customers’ potential objections and how best to handle them. During the sales process, they use open-ended questions; they probe, digging for information and hidden objections—seeking out issues and concerns.
The new salesperson is trustworthy and sells with integrity. They are not pushy and only sell something when it’s the right decision for the buyer. They think long-term relationship, rather than short-term commission.
They understand personality types and build effective relationships no matter the social or behavioral style of their prospects or customers. And, they listen more than they talk. Our new-age salesperson is likeable and welcomed back by customers as a valuable resource.
Finally, our new-age salesperson is always closing; not forcefully, but by asking questions that identify where the prospect is in the journey toward a sale. They use trial close questions which expose fears, concerns, issues and anything that may be standing in the way of a sale. In this way, they never actually need to ask for the order; closing becomes the most natural climax to the salesperson-customer interaction.
The new-age salesperson is a consultant, product and industry expert, confidant, friend, and trusted supplier. And, highly successful.
