What it means to be great at sales in 2020

What do you think of when you hear the term sales? Is it a car salesman? A call centre calling you about their latest offers? Maybe even a shady person selling you used items on the street. The term sales have developed and evolved into different meanings for different businesses. But a great sales process is simply helping your customers by meeting their needs – and providing a solution to their problem.  Let us expand on what it means to be great at sales this 2020:

As exciting as it is to emphasize your product’s latest features, you need to ask yourself if your customer is interested in those particular selling points. For example, not everyone who buys a TV cares whether it’s an LCD or LED screen, they might just want to watch their favourite football team on a Sunday afternoon. Wouldn’t it be better to provide information on how they can enjoy their football matches in HD and watch it live?  Always sell on what matters to the customer.

How do you know which points to emphasize if you don’t know your customers? By asking questions. It doesn’t have to feel like you’re interviewing them, you ask them questions so you can find out what their wants, needs and fears (qualifying) – then connect that information back to what you are selling so can they can make sense of the purchase in their heads.

The biggest turn off for any human being is to deal with someone you don’t like – and now combine that with someone trying to sell you on something. Not such a good combination. Having people skills and the ability to connect to your customer is a process that can take time and practice. But if there was one vital differentiator for any sales department, it’s a person who can be a likeable character (in person/on the phone/email). The fact is, you are not just selling them a product/service, you also selling ‘yourself’. What does it mean to be likeable? Charismatic, helpful, honest, understanding, positive, and solution-driven.

Remember that sales are not all about closing a deal or actual selling, you are also there to help the customer by providing a solution to their problem. Learning to be great at sales also benefits you in other sectors of your life (telling stories, convincing someone to do you a favor, a job interview, negotiating, and so on). That’s why sales will always be a valuable skill and asset to have, it is always a good return on investment.