Becoming a top sales rep takes many years of hard training. This means – like a rock band – endlessly pounding the highway miles. Or that used to be the case. We are now in the 2020s. The focus now is squarely on digital. The old-school salespeople novices used to imitate are now functionally extinct. So what does it take today to become a rock star in the world of sales?
What you will learn in this article
- 12 great tips to become a great sales rep
- How they can up your sales game
- What your next step should be
- How CRM is the secret
- How to get started with CRM
12 hot sales rep tips for charting in the world of sales
Reverse engineering the success of others is still possible. But in today’s digital-centric world, face-to-face selling is becoming a rarity. Paradoxically, sales still depend on many of the skills you need to interact with customers.
To help you reach the top of your selling game, here are 12 red hot tips to become the sales rep you have dreamt of becoming.
Love sales or move on
Many people fall into sales. But, they don’t decide to follow that career path. Life happens. If you are in your first sales job and hate it, quit. Find a sales job elsewhere. And if you still loathe sales with a passion, then it’s time to change careers.
Get mentored
There’s always new stuff to learn about sales. The best way to improve your performance is by studying with a good teacher.
Take a look around your company. Who is the stand-out performer in sales? Ask if you can shadow them to learn the tricks of the trade close-up. Even if this means fetching the coffee, it will be worth it for a ringside seat. You will get to observe a master technician at close quarters.
Research
If you can’t find anyone within your company to mentor you, don’t panic. Instead, think about the half dozen or so salespeople that you admire. Read their books, listen to their podcasts or TedX presentations.
You can then chart out their career moves. And figure out how they arrived at their current position. Next, forensically dissect their career to find their secret ingredient. You should ask yourself the following questions:
- Was it just dumb luck?
- Right place, right time?
- Education?
- Natural aptitude for sales?
- Or some other quality that propelled them through their career?
When you have distilled their career trajectory down to its constituent parts, apply these to your sales technique. Figure out what you can do to make a difference. Time spent digging into the life and times of sales legends is time well spent.
Educate yourself
Sales is a lifelong learning curve. However, the one common trait of rock star salespeople is that they never quit learning.
Move around
Don’t stick with the same company too long. You can only learn so much. Move around and get exposure to as many different industries and company cultures as you can. You will also receive a ton of free training along the way. This will prove utterly priceless later. And you also get to work with a far broader spectrum of customers. As well as company cultures being different, so too are their business processes. The more you know, the nearer you are to sales fame.
Changing jobs regularly may look like a lack of loyalty. But at the start of your career, switching companies is okay. This is because you are ambitious and want to learn as much as possible. However, be sure to set goals for your professional development. Not only is it a healthy career habit, but it also plays a critical role in the success of the top sales staff.
Get out of your comfort zone
Many budding sales staff decide to call it a day after a brutal round of cold calling. However, hearing ‘No’ a lot is a good thing. Those who hear the most ‘noes’ tend to be the salespeople who eventually hear ‘yes’ the most.
Time management
Time is a precious commodity, so use it wisely. Keep yourself on track by always remembering the prize.
Be strict about following up
Every job has its downsides. But always follow-up no matter how time-consuming or ineffectual you perceive it to be. For example, rock star sales reps always follow up to close the deal.
Mix up your strategies
Done plow the same furrow continually. Invest time and energy in multiple channels to cast your net as wide as possible. Please do not neglect your personal brand online. It’s where the action is these days.
Get face-to-face regularly
Today, there is a heavy emphasis on social media, video conferencing, and email as a means of communication. However, you are missing a trick if you let up on old-school face-to-face meetings. These are still very valid and a more personal means of building rapport over a coffee.
Always lead with the good news
Start all your communications on a positive note. This sets up the tone of your interaction. For example, don’t moan about the weather or the traffic.
Always end on a high
No matter how awkward or painful the interaction, always round-up on a positive note. There is always a silver lining or rainbow if you look hard enough.
CRM is the secret
Much of what we have discussed can be facilitated using a CRM system. If your company has one already, make sure you are fully using its functionality and features. If you don’t have a CRM system in place, one of the big arguments for CRM is its capacity to drive sales and make sales and marketing more productive and efficient.
Verdict
If you want to be a rock legend in the pantheon of sales, CRM can get you there much faster. Cloud CRM is by far the most affordable way to go. So what are you waiting for? Go contact us! We’re the cloud experts and totally in tune with small businesses.
