Tweet

What is good selling?

Written by: Sue Barrett

Article Overview: Like many people, I have always been curious about what makes "great sales performance". This is a perplexing question that has been asked and attempted to be answered by many people over the years. Also, are great sales people born? (most people believe this to be true - but it's not). What does it take to be an elite sales performer, and can anyone learn how to sell well?

What is good selling?

Like many people, I have always been curious about what makes "great sales performance". This is a perplexing question that has been asked and attempted to be answered by many people over the years.

Also, are great sales people born? (most people believe this to be true - but it's not). What does it take to be an elite sales performer, and can anyone learn how to sell well?

Many people have looked for one magic quality, one key ingredient that distinguished top performing sales people from all others - a magic ingredient with which only the special are anointed.

Here are some of those qualities that have been espoused as the one and only magic ingredient:

• Not call-reluctant.
• Resilient.
• Extroverted.
• Persuasive.
• A good talker.

The trouble with taking a singular approach to defining high level sales performance is that it assumes there is a one-size-fits-all approach to sales, and only those people with that ‘special" quality can sell. This is certainly not the case.

This singular approach minimises and trivialises the complexity that is inherent in effective selling and disregards the constant adjustment needed to meet changing industry standards, market conditions, competition, corporate strategy and culture, personalities involved and so on.

Just think about how the role of "sales" has changed in your industry over the years.

If we wanted to try and isolate one quality above all others I would have to highlight trust.

Great sales people have always known that their success lies in being able to sell based on trust, transparency and doing what they say they will do.

But how do you build trust? That involves many qualities working in an integrated fashion. Effective selling is an integrated system that uses a variety of skills, behaviours and knowledge. Based on study findings from here and overseas, our research into sales competencies has revealed some interesting findings.

While traditional competencies such as basic selling skills and account management are required, they do not differentiate top sales performers from poor or average sales performers.

A US longitudinal study released in 2001 by Bernard Rosenbaum, "Seven Emerging Sales Competencies" revealed nine sales competencies: seven emerging and two traditional. The findings cut across all industries, contradicting the assumption that successful sales practices vary among different industries.

Highest performing sales people develop and use the seven emerging competencies despite the fact they may not have been modeled by their managers - many managers still do not fully recognise these competencies.

Although essential to performance, the two traditional competencies showed little differentiation between high and low sales performers. Successful sales people are not constrained by traditional practices, but work instead in ways they have found best.

The seven emerging competencies are:

• Engaging in self-appraisal and continuous learning.
• Listening beyond product needs.
• Orchestrating internal resources.
• Aligning customer/supplier strategic objectives.
• Establishing a vision of a committed customer/supplier relationship.
• Understanding the financial impacts of decisions.
• Consultative problem solving.

The most interesting finding was that gender differences in sales competencies were found, with women rated significantly more highly than men on five of the emerging competencies. The author suggests this is reason to have a gender-balanced sales team.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Related Articles
  Selling Power 26
  Does Sex Sell?
  Consultative Selling
  The "Use Seasoned Sales Professionals As Trainers" Myth
  Finding The Right Prospects For your Business

Article Tags: behaviours, complexity, corporate strategy, effective selling, elite sales, extroverted, fashion, integrated system, li li, magic ingredient, perplexing question, personalities, sales performance, singular approach, study findings, transparency, ul



Related Forum Posts
Re: Which is the best for beginners? - Hi Apu, I think one good way for Internet beginners to start is to experiment with selling stuff on eBay. In my own case I began by making a website about Japanese mahjong and then tried selling some mahjong goods on it. It worked! Actually, I remember that before I tried selling mahjong goods I experimented with selling other kinds of thing such as Japanese comics on eBay and things like that. I only got into affiliate marketing later on, and used the money I was making selling goods to fund my experiments with affiliate and network marketing.
Ebay - It seems the thing I want to sell are dirt cheap - while the things I want to buy are attracting attention and driving the price up. I have a good friend who makes a very good living selling items on ebay and that's his fulltime job. But, I'm looking for suggestions for selling some items as a part time way to make some additional money. Chris
Money Back Guarantee - That's a good point Louis - if people don't offer a money back guarantee it shows that they don't believe in their product. Most people never ask for their money back anyway but you have to have confidence in what you're selling. If it delivers value you shouldn't have a problem with the guarantee and it reduces the barrier customers have to buy what you're selling.
Online payment systems?? - Hey everyone, I was wondering does anyone here use online payment systems to do business? Could anyone give me some advice on some good companies? I will be selling large volumes at low prices and I see that many of the payment processing companies take around 20c-50c off each transaction, as ill be selling my goods a such low prices that is a huge margin! I was wondering does anybody know of a company that just charges a set monthly fee?? Thanks
Re: What makes a good sales rep? - That's so true. If you don't truly believe in your product/s, I believe the average Joe can sense that you don't. If you aren't selling something you believe in, you should quit and find something you do even if it means a loss of income for a while. The overall reward will be greater in the end because you will end up selling more.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Basic Operating Question (BOQ) for Empowerment

Resistance to Change and How to Deal With It

Selling On Ebay The Good The Bad And The Ugly

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.