Every salesperson, young and old, dreams of becoming a superstar. Their company's #1 salesperson. Winning all the awards, contests and perks that go with super stardom. Not to mention a fantastic income.
OK. We all dream it. But, why do so few achieve it? Why do so many salespeople aspire to greatness, but earn only an average income year after year? What differentiates the great from everyone else? Are the superstars born that way? Have the heavens showered them with extraordinary gifts? Do they posses something others lack?
Yes and no. No, they are not born that way. No, the heavens have not showered them with anything extraordinary. But yes, they do posses things that others lack. What are those things? First, let me be clear about something. Salespeople are not born great. The days of finding success in sales with a charismatic personality and a firm handshake are long gone. And along with it should be the belief that you don't have to invest in training salespeople, that salespeople should come fully trained right out of the box. Well that's just Bull!!!!
Let's look at it this way. A semiconductor manufacturer would never hire an engineer unless he or she had a degree in electrical engineering. A bridge builder wouldn't hire an engineer unless they had a degree in mechanical engineering. A law firm wouldn't hire an associate unless they had a law degree. But companies large and small, would entrust their entire revenue generation to people that have a pleasing personality and a nice appearance. Talk about insanity!
So what does differentiate the great from the average? First, the superstar has been trained to be a superstar. Not just in techniques, (although learning new techniques are extremely important) but in overcoming self-limiting attitudes and beliefs that often neutralize even the best techniques. First, they've learned to face their fears and do it anyway. They're not afraid to call at any level within a company. They're just as comfortable in a boardroom as they are sitting in a purchasing agent’s cubicle. Second, they believe in their product/service, their company and in themselves. They know that what they sell is the best and will positively impact their customer’s lives. Third, they know it’s never about them, but always about the customer. They've learned how to ask questions that determine the reasons for doing business, and that differentiate themselves from the competition. And, fourth, they understand it's never about money. They know the prospect will squeeze them on price, not once, not twice, but probably three times, but they never cave. They uphold their company's profit margins.
What else do superstars possess? They do the behaviors. They know how many phone calls it takes to get a meeting. How many meetings to get to a presentation/demo/proposal. How many presentations/ demos/ proposals to get to a sale. They know it takes hard work. They know there are no shortcuts. They are willing to do whatever it takes and are committed to their success.
Can you be a superstar? Absolutely! But you have got to want it. You have got to make the decision that this is the year you're going to reach for the stars. And you must be totally committed to making it happen. If you can do that, you too can be a superstar.
To learn more about this author, visit Michael Luckman's Website.
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Michael Luckman
(Visit Michael's Website)
Michael has been involved in sales,
marketing and training for over 39 years,
with companies such as Milton Bradley,
Playskool, Gund and for many years his own
award winning sales and marketing firm,
Michael Luckman and Associates. His
experience runs the gamut from consumer
product sales to national retail chains,
on up to seven-figure management
consulting projects to the Global 1000. In
1975, as Director of Marketing for
National Semiconductor, he brought to
market the first electronic toy, the “Quiz
Kid,” creating not only that years #1 toy,
but an entirely new industry.
Early in his career Michael was one of
five senior buyers for Toys R Us. It was
in this capacity that he realized that not
all sales people were created equal. The
truly professional had a system that they
followed to control the selling process.
The majority though, had no system, and
soon defaulted to the buyers, and dropping
the price was always a part of that
system. When he went back into sales he
vowed to be a professional, but it wasn’t
until he discovered the Sandler Sales
Institute and its non-traditional sales
methodologies, that he realized what a
truly professional sales system looked
like.
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